--- ---  # Forget the 'To-Do' List, You Need a ‘Stop Doing’ List by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Feb 27, 2015 12:05 PM UTC  Twin Bell Alarm Clock on Desk Twin Bell Alarm Clock on DeskGetty Images by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish Feb 27, 2015 12:05 PM UTC It’s interesting to think about the things you want to accomplish in life and work towards those goals. This is, after all, what we’ve been taught to do since birth. But over time we accumulate other habits and end up spending our time on things that aren’t important to us. Jim Collins, author of the cult business classics [Good to Great](http://a-fwd.com/es=farstrblo068-21&it=farstrblo0a-21&fr=farstrblo08-21&de=farstrblo07-21&uk=farstrblo-21&ca=farst-20&com=farnamstreet-20&asin-es=0066620996&asin-it=0066620996&asin-fr=0066620996&asin-de=0066620996&asin-uk=0066620996&asin-ca=0066620996&asin-com=0066620996) and [Great by Choice](http://a-fwd.com/es=farstrblo068-21&it=farstrblo0a-21&fr=farstrblo08-21&de=farstrblo07-21&uk=farstrblo-21&ca=farst-20&com=farnamstreet-20&asin-es=0062120999&asin-it=0062120999&asin-fr=0062120999&asin-de=0062120999&asin-uk=0062120999&asin-ca=0062120999&asin-com=0062120999), [suggests](http://www.jimcollins.com/article%5Ftopics/articles/best-new-years.html) an interesting thought experiment ([reminiscent of Alan Watts](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/03/what-would-you-like-to-do-if-money-were-no-object/)) to help clean the windshield so-to-speak. --- > “” --- What would you _stop_ doing? In his book [How To Avoid Work](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000XN6922/farnamstreet-20), William J. Reilly offers the three most common reasons we give for not doing what we want. --- > “” --- Each of these, Reilly argues, “melts away as an imaginary obstacle when we shine the light of intelligence upon it.” Time is the key. “Without time nothing is possible.” --- > “” --- We invest time consciously and unconsciously. If you believe [the advice of the wisest Americans](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/06/30-lessons-for-living/) many of us think about how our time is spent at the end of our lives, only to find regret about how our precious resource was squandered on the meaningless. Collins’ thought experiment is an attempt to help us think about how we’re spending our time today, when we can still do something about it to change our ways. We don’t want to wake up when we’re 80, for instance, and realize that we unconsciously allocated all of our thought and effort. But the value of this experiment applies not only to people but to organizations. The velocity and complexity of problems is increasing. In part, to ward off this pressure and delegate decisions to lower levels, organizations respond with a perpetually increasing internal information velocity. New policies and procedures are easily added while legacy ones are slowly removed. Culturally we value decisions to add things more than we value decisions to remove things. Echoing the [words of Steve Jobs on focus](https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2011/09/steve-jobs-the-focus-to-say-no/), Collins writes: --- > “” --- A lot of people wait until the start of the New Year to pause and reflect but there is no better time than now. Collins also suggests that you ask yourself these three questions as “a personal guidance mechanism.” The answers can be used to course-correct. --- > “” --- Question 3 is the most complicated, perhaps because in the ‘find your passion’ movement doing what you love will not necessarily lead to a living. Cal Newport argues the counter-point: [following your passion is horrible advice](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/02/following-your-passion-cal-newport/). **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Farnam Street_**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/)**_._** **Join over 50,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/newsletter/)**.** ### 5 Horrible Habits You Need to Stop Right Now  Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item. Chris Pecoraro—Getty Images  Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'” Sam Edwards—Getty Images/Caiaimage  Do Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help. Jetta Productions—Getty Images  Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit. by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RF  Do Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally. Reza Estakhrian—Getty Images _Read next:_ [_5 Simple Notions That Help Solve Problems_](http://time.com/3716716/5-simple-notions-that-help-solve-problems/?xid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) Forget the 'To-Do' List, You Need a ‘Stop Doing’ List ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3724744/need-stop-doing-list/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3724744/need-stop-doing-list/"},"headline":"Forget the 'To-Do' List, You Need a ‘Stop Doing’ List","datePublished":"2015-02-27T12:05:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:42.843Z","description":"Think about how you're spending your time today, when you can still do something about it to change your ways","url":"https://time.com/3724744/need-stop-doing-list/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt47dce190688b78b9/6987814055a859574ba860a1/gettyimages_478834483-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Shane Parrish","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt47dce190688b78b9/6987814055a859574ba860a1/gettyimages_478834483-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"twin-bell-alarm-clock","caption":"twin-bell-alarm-clock","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3724744/need-stop-doing-list/","name":"Forget the 'To-Do' List, You Need a ‘Stop Doing’ List"}}]}] ```