If you’re like most practice owners I coach, your to-do list is longer than a CVS receipt. A long to-do list will most likely paralyze you and make you feel like a procrastinator, or just simply unmotivated.

Most entrepreneurs are very creative and constantly thinking of ways to grow their businesses. Really successful business owners embrace their long lists by understanding the importance of putting things in perspective and knowing how to lead and delegate. Most importantly, there is stuff on that list you shouldn’t be doing—and you don’t really want to do.

Let me give it to you straight:
Growth isn’t just about what you do—it’s about what you stop doing.

The best way to think about your to-do list is to make a “Don’t Do List.” Every quarter, sit down and ask:

  • What am I doing right now that someone else could do 80% as well?

  • What drains my energy, adds little value, or simply doesn’t move the needle?

Here’s how to make your own 90-Day Don’t Do List:

  1. Track your week. Every 15 minutes. Yes, it’s annoying. Do it anyway for 3 days.

  2. Circle anything that feels like a time-suck or stressor.

  3. Ask: If I didn’t do this anymore, what would happen? (Hint: usually, nothing bad.)

  4. Decide: Can I delegate it, automate it, or delete it?

That’s your list.

Then commit to cutting or offloading just 2–3 items each month for the next 90 days.

You’ll be shocked how much lighter you feel and how much more space you have for strategic, needle-moving work.

Remember: you’re the CEO, not the bottleneck. Let your Don’t Do List remind you of that.

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