Name habits and distractions you will deliberately avoid today.
List what you will not do today to protect focus.
What is a Not-To-Do List?
A not-to-do list names behaviors and tasks you will deliberately avoid today — scrolling, ad-hoc meetings, inbox checking during deep work — to protect focus before temptation strikes.
How to Use
- List 3–5 things you tend to do that sabotage today's priorities.
- Keep the list visible during work sessions as a conscious boundary.
- When urge hits, acknowledge it and redirect to your current task or Brain Dump.
- At end of day, note what you avoided and adjust tomorrow's list.
How It Works
Productivity is as much about subtraction as addition. A not-to-do list applies implementation intentions in reverse: "When I feel like X, I will not do X until Y time." Pre-commitment reduces ego depletion from in-the-moment negotiation with distractions.
Why It Works for Productivity
Willpower fails under fatigue; explicit bans remove repeated decisions. Reviewing what you avoided reveals which habits break most often — targeted data for change. Saying no upfront preserves energy for deep work.
Tips
Include specific apps or sites, not vague "waste time." Share with an accountability partner if working remotely. Cross-check with your Eisenhower Matrix — if it does not serve Quadrant I or II, it belongs on this list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not-To-Do vs. blocking apps?
This list is a cognitive tool; site blockers add enforcement. Use both for best results.
Should the list change daily?
Yes. Different days have different traps — meetings Monday, social media Friday afternoon.