Have You Made a 2014 'To-Not-Do' List?

A list of New Year's resolutions is really like a "to-do list" on a larger scale. As with many to-do lists, some of the items on it keep getting pushed down in the ranking of priorities because of the constraints of time. So I have a suggestion to keep in mind when making pledges to yourself about what you are going to do this year:

Make purifying your time your first resolution.

Many driven people—including many dentists I have seen—pride themselves on how many tasks and commitments they are able to take on. Eventually, reality catches up and this philosophy of always doing more becomes counterproductive, as you inevitably have to approach your growing list of commitments at a more superficial level. The simple truth is that getting more done is not a matter of doing more things; it is a matter of doing the right things with your time. In that sense, the answer is often found in "unhooking" yourself from the low-value time wasters that hold you back from giving your full attention to the things that truly drive your success.

You can't buy more hours in a day, but you can reclaim time for yourself. You can choose to delegate; you can choose to streamline and purge yourself of recurring nuisances that eat away at your productivity. You can choose to say "no" to demands on your time that don't fit your criteria for being worthwhile. By purifying your time priorities in this way, you amplify the value of your time and you get more out of life.

So as you put together your list of things you want to do over the coming year, be sure to work on another list at the same time: a list of things you don't want to do anymore. Think of it as a "To-Not-Do" list.

Some of the items on this list may take time and effort to unhook from, such as training team members to take over certain duties, for instance. Some of them you will find you can drop right away. Be ruthless about it, keeping in mind that this is your most precious resource we are talking about. Examine each recurring demand on your time and ask yourself if it's adding value to your life in an intangible way? Is it enhancing your productivity and improving your practice? If the answer is no to both of those questions, the next question becomes obvious: Then why are you doing this?

Challenge yourself right now to sit down and create your own list of things to not do in 2014. Try to come up with at least five items. This is a great way to start the year with a feeling of liberation. This allows you to clear your mind of clutter and award yourself more time and energy to embrace the really important possibilities.