Productivity & teamwork

The Not-To-Do List: How Deprioritizing Boosts Focus and Output

9 min

The not-to-do list: how deprioritizing boosts focus and output

Ah, the not-to-do list.

Just saying that term can make you feel like you’re showing up to a formal event in flip-flops or gobbling up dessert before dinner. Having such a list seems quite subversive, doesn’t it? 😏

Imagine yourself saying, “Here’s a list of all the things I absolutely refuse to do today. Or any other day, for that matter”.

You’d be such a troublemaker. It’s like you are creating your own villain origin story by tearing up your to-do list after putting on a leather jacket while an unlit cigarette dangles from your lips. Such an awesome feeling.

The reign of endless to-do lists, sticky notes, and calendar pings would be over.

Jokes aside, the not-to-list isn’t just for the contrarian (or the lazy). It can help you break bad habits, battle distractions, and set priorities straight.

The logic behind why the not-to-do list works is pretty straightforward: productivity isn’t about doing things; it’s about doing the right things.

So, embrace your inner rebel and start saying “no” to people and tasks like you mean it. Once you are ready, you can through this article to learn how to craft your very own not-to-do list.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

What is a not-to-do list?
How to create a not-to-do list
To conclude

What is a not-to-do list?

A not-to-do list is a list of things you intentionally decide not to do or want to deprioritize.

Unlike a to-do list, which contains tasks you want to accomplish, a not-to-do list focuses on activities, habits, and behaviors that waste your time and drain your energy. The list should help you avoid distractions and actions that lower your productivity.

Please note that the do-not-do list is not an I’m-never-doing-this-again list. It’s more of a tool to help you map your day and avoid things and moments that don’t contribute to your productivity. Like a list of things you spend time on but know you shouldn’t be spending.

Here’s a list of task examples that could be on your not-to-do list:

Any type of distractions, like random chats with colleagues or loud background noise.
Unproductive habits, like scrolling on TikTok.
Other people’s responsibilities and volunteering to do someone else’s work.
Low-value tasks, like unnecessary meetings.
“Tasks” that actually don’t need to be completed, like creating reports no one asked for.
Tasks that are out of your control, like worrying about decisions others need to make.

💡 The origin of the not-to-do list

Pinpointing the exact origin of the not-to-do list isn’t easy since the term doesn’t appear explicitly in philosophy or psychology.

However, the idea behind it ties into core principles from both fields: taking meaningful action and avoiding behaviors that hold us back.

Take philosophy, for example, Stoicism. Stoics emphasize self-control and avoid actions that don’t contribute to personal growth or the greater good. This sounds a lot like what a not-to-do list is all about: cutting out the habits that drag you down.

Then there’s psychology and omission bias. Omission bias suggests our tendency to prefer doing nothing over taking action, even when inaction leads to negative consequences. The not-to-do list flips omission bias by turning inaction into a choice so we can focus on what matters most and ditch the things that don’t serve our mental health or productivity.

In short, not-to-do lists combine these timeless principles into something practical. They are a tool for self-control, intention, and clarity.

Why do you need such a not-to-do list?

Because you probably struggle with saying “no” or delegating tasks. We all do.

We also sometimes struggle with identifying urgent vs. important tasks and low- over high-impact tasks.

On top of that, if you are prone to distractions and have habits you want to get rid of, your to-do list is probably full of tasks you have never tackled.

That’s why the ultimate goal of creating a not-to-do list is to be more self-disciplined. It can help you eliminate tasks that don’t align with your goals, remove bad habits from your (professional and personal) life, and help you see all the benefits of single tasking.

Ultimately, there are a few pros of having a do-not-do list:

It helps you eliminate time-wasting activities. Anything that sucks up your time and never adds value, like scrolling through social media or attending meetings that should have been emails, must go on this list.
It helps you break from bad habits. A not-to-do list is a tool that can change your unproductive routine or behaviors, such as procrastinating or saying “yes” to everything.
It suggests what you should focus on. It can help you truly think about priorities and goals so you can focus on what truly matters.
It prevents burnout. Once you realize you can’t do everything, you’ll worry less; the list becomes your official permission to remove all the unnecessary activities that don’t benefit you.

✍️ Need examples of a not-to-do list? Here are some:

Business-related not-to-do list:

Do not respond to emails as soon as they arrive.
Do not attend meetings without a clear agenda.
Do not micromanage team members; instead, trust them.
Do not multitask during important tasks.
Do not spend time on tasks that can be delegated or automated.
Do not say “yes” to every client request.

Personal not-to-do list:

Do not start the day by checking your phone or scrolling through social media.
Do not stay up late watching TV shows on weekdays.
Do not skip meals because you’re “too busy”.
Do not engage in conversations that drain your energy.
Do not procrastinate on important tasks by tackling less challenging ones first.
Do not say “yes” to social commitments you don’t genuinely want to attend.

How to create a not-to-do list

Preparing a do-not-do list is fairly easy. All you need to do is go through the following 4 steps.

#1 Take time to craft it

Making a not-to-do list is, as mentioned, quick and painless. Still, you’ll need time off your day一no more than 30-60 minutes一to truly think about your goals and what should be on your list.

#2 Analyze how you spend time

You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, so you need to think in retrospect.

In this step, you should analyze how you spent time over a set period and on what tasks precisely. I suggest analyzing activities from the past few months and marking the recurring ones so you can identify patterns of low-value or unnecessary tasks that could be eliminated or delegated.

Luckily for you, you don’t have to do it alone; Memtime’s got your back.

Memtime, our fully automated time tracking app, tracks ALL your daily activities and provides a comprehensive view of how you spend your time.

Memtime doesn’t erase your activities, ever. You can go back in time to review past activities, identify trends, and make more informed decisions later on.

Here’s my automatic timeline dating a few months back. I chose a random date to show you that Memtime keeps a record of all your daily activities from the moment you install it on your computer.

Unlike manual time tracking methods, or semi-automatic ones, Memtime works seamlessly in the background, logging your time in different applications, documents, or websites, meaning you get an accurate breakdown of your activities.

You don’t have to stop to take notes about which tasks you are on. You can just keep working and set time to review your automatic timeline. Here’s how this whole process could go:

You create a Memtime account to try the app for 14 days, free of charge. No card info needed, and you can create an account in less than 15 seconds.
You download Memtime on your computer.
You forget about Memtime一you just open it, and it will record in the background. This way, you can keep working like you normally would with zero distractions.
Once you have time, open the tool to see which activities Memtime has captured on its Memory Aid.
You analyze activities mentioned in your Memory Aid so you can determine inefficiencies, pinpoint distractions, and, ultimately, make an informed decision on what to put on your not-to-do list.

And if you are worried about your data privacy and security, fear not, my rebellious friend.

We at Memtime have a privacy-first approach, as all your Memory Aid data is stored securely on YOUR computer. No cloud storage, no external servers—your data is fully under your control, meaning all activity logs are private and accessible only to you.

If using Memtime to review your daily activities sounds like the time of your life (pun intended), sign up for our free trial. Just click the button below to get started.

Track smarter, live better

#3 Identify the do-not-do tasks

Memtime is an excellent starting point, as it provides a timeline of all your tasks.

From there, it's up to you to determine which tasks should be added to your not-to-do list or eliminated altogether.

You should identify and put on the list the following activities:

Low-impact tasks.
Tasks you should delegate.
Distractions, like notifications.
Moments of procrastination.
Time wasters (such as unnecessarily long meetings).
Unclear priorities.

To do so, ask yourself the following questions:

Which tasks don’t add any value to your work (or personal life)?
Can you delete or delegate particular tasks so you can focus on something else with more value?
Are there any tasks you procrastinate the most with?
Which tasks could be automated to save time?
Are there specific distractions or interruptions that consistently affect your focus?
Which activities take up more time than they should (and why)?
Are there recurring tasks that could be simplified?
What tasks could be postponed without negatively impacting your results?

#4 Evaluate your not-to-do list

Evaluating your not-to-do list is just as important as completing it, if not even more important.

But how will you know if your not-to-do list is effective?

The simple answer is this: you'll know it's working if, after implementing it, you feel less drained and fatigued. A good not-to-do list should boost your productivity by helping you set clear boundaries, maintain focus, and work more effectively toward your goals.

Plus, with Memtime, evaluating the effectiveness of your not-to-do list can be even more precise.

Once you’ve implemented changes based on your list, you can use Memtime’s Memory Aid to compare your planned not-to-do list with your activity timeline so you can see how well you're working towards your goals.

This feature allows you to see how closely your daily routine aligns with your “perfect day”. You’ll be able to see whether your distractions still creep back in or the tasks you should delegate still consume more time than they should.

With Memtime, you’ll be able to identify gaps and understand what’s blocking your progress with the not-to-do list.

To conclude

I love a not-to-do list. I consider it a personal declaration of independence from distractions, my inability to say “no” and all the other nonsense. It makes me want to be more self-disciplined and stop being my own energy and time vampire.

Saying “no” to yourself and others and setting boundaries truly feels good.

And remember: with great not-to-do lists comes great responsibility... to have more time at your disposal.

I highly suggest you create a do-not-do list and see how it transforms your life. You’ll feel like you are doing less while somehow achieving more. Good luck! 🙂

Aleksandra Doknic

Aleksandra Doknic is a copywriter and content writer with six years of experience in B2B SaaS and e-commerce marketing. She's a startup enthusiast specializing in topics ranging from technology and gaming to business and finance. Outside of work, Aleksandra can be found walking barefoot in nature, baking muffins, or jotting down poems.