In our Change Your Life Challenge e-group, each weekend we choose three goals to keep us on track and focused. After posting my goals this past week, I was reminded of something my friend Sara said when we were teaching at a Publishing University last month in Washington DC. She was talking about how "to do lists" often become "to-don't" lists because people do not use them effectively. She promoted the use of the 3-Step-Action List that is used in the Challenge to make a clear action plan with focus versus a long list that is unmanageable.

I think the concept of a "To-Don't" list is quite interesting. We don't intentionally wish our "to-dos" to become "to don'ts" but if managed ineffectively that is often what happens. This week I have decided to take the concept of a "To-Don't" list one step further. As you make your action plan for the day or the week, also create a "To-Don't" list. List out three things that you won't do this week.

Here are some example of what might be on that list:

I won't over-commit my time

I won't sacrifice my self-care time

I won't let someone else bring me down

I won't spend any more time than absolutely necessary with negative people

I won't engage in negative self-talk

I won't overspend

I won't say "I can't"

Try it! Think of things that often hold you back or leave you feeling less than great and add them to this list. Then pick one a day and commit to not doing it. I think it is a fun exercise to focus on three things per day that move us forward (the three step action list) and then to add one thing that pulls us backward that we won't do.