Four Dangers of To-Do Lists & Getting Things Done

Four Dangers of To-Do Lists and Having to Get Things Done
– by Neil Fiore, PhD, author of The Now Habit: Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play and Awaken Your Strongest Self

1. “Done” and “finish” are in the imagined future, a non-existent place that your body cannot get to. You are left with stuck energy that makes you feel anxious.

2. To Do Lists are usually “Have to do-lists” that evoke resistance, rebellion, and procrastination. The unspoken “have to” part of To Do Lists says, “You don’t want to do this. Some authority is making you into a victim. You should resist or at least drag your feet.”

3. To Do Lists are often overwhelming and usually don’t indicate the difference between low and high priorities. You could become a Workaholic rather than a top producer who focuses on starting on top priority project at a time.

4. Creating bigger and better To Do Lists––as with getting organized and perfectionism ––can become a major distraction that seems to justify your avoidance of actually working on a project that could advance your life.

See next blog for “When to Use Getting Things Started Lists”
©2009, Neil Fiore, PhD. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint is granted as long as this copyright and the following contact information is included: www.neilfiore.com 510 525 2673 neil@neilfiore.com For Coaching: www.neilfiore.com/coach.shtml