What’s a list of anti-goals and why do I need one?
When you think about the goals you’ve set for your business, you’re following long-standing business wisdom. If you want to be successful in a business having goals is what you do because this is what everyone does.
Now, besides goals you need anti-goals.
Once, all you needed was a daily calendar. Today, it’s been replaced by a 365-day goal planner. This is the new time management if you expect to be more effective, more efficient, more productive, and ultimately successful.
The Problem of Not Having a List of Anti-Goals
There’s only one problem with not have a list of anti-goals. Some brave-voiced entrepreneurs are willing to expose the truth that their lives are miserable because there’s no enjoyment anymore when bound to their goal planner.
Thus, the birth of the anti-goals list or the not-to-do list.
Part of being successful is being able to enjoy your work. And, you’re not because you’re overwhelmed by a to-do list of goals. The solution — an anti-goals list.
Not finding the enjoyment they had hoped for, Canadian entrepreneur/investor Andrew Wilkinson and his partner, Chris, were attracted to the concept of ‘inversion.‘ The concept comes from Warren Buffet’s financial partner, Charlie Munger.
“ … ‘inversion’ – a strategy that looks at problems in reverse, focusing on minimising the negatives instead of maximising the positives.”
An Anti-Goals List
Wilkinson and his partner minimized the negatives by creating a list of anti-goals they would not engage in order to better enjoy their work.
- Never schedule an in-person meeting when it can otherwise be accomplished via email or phone (or not at all)
- No more than 2 hours of scheduled time per day
- No business or obligations with people we don’t like—even just a slight bad vibe and it’s a hard no
- Never give up voting control of our businesses, no favors from people who could need something from us (ensure the rule of reciprocity doesn’t kick in)
- Work from a cafe across from a beautiful park where we can come and go as we please with nobody to bother us
- Video conference or pay for people to come visit us
- Never schedule morning meetings, sleep in when needed
The ‘Not-To-Do’ List
Time Ferriss, author and thought leader, prefers minimizing with a 9-point ‘not-to-do’ list.
- Do not answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers
- Do not e-mail first thing in the morning or last thing at night
- Do not agree to meetings or calls with no clear agenda or end time
- Do not let people ramble
- Do not check e-mail constantly — “batch” and check at set times only
- Do not over-communicate with low-profit, high-maintenance customers
- Do not work more to fix overwhelm — prioritize
- Do not carry a cellphone or Crackberry 24/7
- Do not expect work to fill a void that non-work relationships and activities should
My List
After giving this much thought, I created my own 9-point ‘not-to-do’ list (believe me I can go well beyond 9 here).
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- Do not answer phone, let it go to audible voice mail
- Do not work at computer longer than 60 minutes without taking a break
- Do not go without eating before I start my workday
- Do not add a new program until I’ve mastered the last one
- Do not sign up for every free offer that comes along
- Do not save every email or article thinking I’ll read it later
- Do not try to make everything perfect
- Do not respond immediately to pop-ups unless they are security flags
- Do not open my computer and go to a news link or Facebook first
Your anti-goals are as important as your goals.
When you stop to look at things differently you can add enjoyment back into your life and your business. If you don’t, you’re in a business being miserable while you’re trying to make it successful.
So, what’s on your anti-goal or ‘not-to-do’ list?
Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20170919-the-power-of-a-not-to-do-list
https://tim.blog/2007/08/16/the-not-to-do-list-9-habits-to-stop-now/
https://medium.com/@awilkinson/the-power-of-anti-goals-c38f5f46d23c
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Joyce, this is the best thing I have read all week! Thank you! I am going to make my list of anti-goals right now. I have done many of the things on the lists above, but I think the best one for me was to not do business with the bad-vibe people! That has made such a difference in my business and my life!
Thanks for the compliment Mindy. Yes, banish those bad-vibe people right away. Many times marketers are willing to put up with them because they need the sale. It makes more sense in the long run to have a set of criteria for working with people. And, if they don’t meet that criteria say goodbye. You don’t need heartache in your business.
What refreshing article – not about what we have to but more about what we don’t. Feels like giving us permission to let go rules, have-to’s and musts and allow ourselves to enjoy our business and life more.
Yes, Teresa, it’s very freeing to let go of the things that we don’t want to do or are not in our best efforts to be productive.
Very clever! I know what my anti-goals should be. Don’t get into your emails more than 3 times a day. Don’t get on Facebook more than 2 times a day. Don’t watch television on weeknights or Sunday. Don’t start on your closet conversion and stop and leave everything sitting until next time you have time. Don’t sit at your desk all day. I could go on. Thanks.
Cathy, you got it. All get things to give you a better working day.
I love this! Many years ago I started creating a block of time in my calendar called “Shapeless Time.” It was my time! I am fairly good at turning off my phone and stepping away from work now. When we first start a business, its easy to go wide rather than deep and overwhelm ourselves with too much to do rather than learning one thing and then taking on the next step. I’m still working on redirecting people from FB messenger to my email. Its the best way for me to organize.
Sounds like you’re already on track, Candess. As a business grows, it’s easy to get bogged down with all the things we want to do. So having anti-goals or shapeless time is an important part that we need to plan for.
Some very good points here. I really like the ‘not to do lists’ and you have some great ones on yours. I have started this too and now avoid starting my work day before I have some morning me time.
Having morning time is a great anti-goal to have. It sets the tone for the whole day.
I love this Joyce, yes know all about the not do do list and you 4-9 match mine. I must revisit this and have them written down again so I don’t fall back into old habits.thanks for the reminder . Now sure i agree with all of Wilkinson’s points. xxxx
It’s great Suzie, that we have an opportunity to rethink how we want to enjoy our life and still have a productive business.
Oh wow! This is really fantastic and is something I should start working with. I have never thought about it and after reading this profound article, it actually does make sense that instead of over focusing on the positive, I should work on reducing the negative but in a manner which benefits me.
Great that you found this so helpful Elizabeth.
Joyce, my favorite was #7 Never schedule morning meetings, sleep in when needed. It is so important to start the day well rested. What makes this blog so great is bringing to our attention the things we should Not Do, such as working with people we really don’t like… unless we absolutely must. Thanks for the reminders!
Thanks for focusing on the sleep aspect, Kathleen. In business, many sacrifice sleep thinking they need to do so in order to be productive. When, what’s needed is good, deep and restful sleep to be able to function better.
oooooo. I REALLY love this, Joyce. Some of my “not to do” list includes:
1. Stop checking facebook and email after 10pm (I’m working on earlier).
2. Turn phone over and further away from me so I don’t see light coming from it. (I’m working on having it on silent).
3. ONLY sign up for freebies that directly relate to my goals/interests and ONLY sign up with my alternate email so my main email isn’t cluttered.
4. Batch to do items.
5. Only schedule ONE BIG thing a day.
6. Set a timer when working on projects for down time (bathroom and water or walk breaks) .
7. NEVER spend time with people I don’t like or get a bad vibe from.
I love this article and will think on other ways I can incorporate ”anti-goals’ to my life.
What a powerful list, Tandy. I really like your #5 to only schedule One Big Thing a day. That keeps you focused and makes it easier to get it done.
This is so GOOD, Joyce! YES! Information/stimulation overload absolutely requires the anti-to-do list in order to regain control of our focus, time and energy. I like your list – especially about saying no to all the free offers! I learned a big one the last few weeks about saying yes to some launches that did not serve me well. Will be much more careful next time. Thanks, Reba
I think of it as a double edge sword, Reba. We want our launches to be successful, yet when we sign up for others it may have been overhyped or we just don’t have the time to keep up. I’m learning that most of these programs come around again in about 6 months, or they are offered a couple of weeks later by another JV partner. Also, I have to take the attitude, if I miss it, I miss it. I can’t do everything and I have to focus on the key elements my business needs now. Thanks for sharing your experience. We can all grow and learn from each other.