Do you find yourself constantly doing the same tasks over and over again? Have you created a 'to do' list which is becoming longer as the weeks unfold and preventing you from actually achieving anything worthwhile during the day? The primary objective of a 'to do' list is to help you to manage time effectively so as you can complete those menial chores quickly and move forward with other projects and plans.

It is when a 'to do' list becomes a long, drawn out daily ritual that you need to review your daily tasks and streamline them so as those jobs which can be reduced or passed over, free you up the time and space for advancement in other areas. With this in mind, a 'not to do' list is the perfect way to ensure that you kill two birds with one stone. The best way to organize your not-to-do list is to delegate tasks. Let's look into this further:

Delegate or accumulate
An assistant will provide those extra pair of hands you so badly need to help you organize and complete those mundane tasks which need to be run through every day. It may be worth hiring someone for a few hours per day to send out emails, open and respond to mail, answer the phone etc.

Letting go
In many cases, it may feel easier and quicker to hold on to menial tasks and complete them yourself rather than delegate them out to others or let them go. Having managed these duties for so long, it can feel as though you are the only one who can complete them properly. You may be under the assumption that handing them over will only mean doubling your workload as you return to correct errors. A good way to resolve this issue is to draw up a detailed and concise Word document of how you would like the tasks to be completed. This way, the jobs are tackled with all of your specific requirements and you can let them go. If tasks are still not being completed to your satisfaction, make a note of the areas which you would like to see improved and make it a mission to accept those tasks being completed by someone else so as you can finally let them go, safe in the knowledge that they are still being completed as though you were actually doing them yourself.

Task swapping
Take a look around the office at the various strengths and weaknesses of your employees. Maybe one member of staff has a great telephone manner but types with two fingers and can take forever to send an email. It may be an idea to give most of the telephone calls to this person and ask him/her to dictate all of his correspondence and send it forward to a staff member who can type at 60wpm. This way, customer service and time management improve dramatically.

Put this suggestion to your co-workers and give it a pilot run for a couple of days each week. By freeing yourself from chores which eat into too much of your time, you give yourself the freedom to focus your efforts on your to-do list and create positive, efficient and rapid results.

When you have your staff running like a well-oiled machine and you have set aside your own personal to-do list, you can fine-tune this list further by ensuring that the distractions of the day do not quash your ability to complete your to-do list smoothly and efficiently.

Take a virtual tour around your day and write down any distractions which diminish your efficiency.

Your list may look something like this:

My not-to-do list:

I must not only allow myself a half hour lunch break this week. Instead, I will take my full hour.

I will not talk to a friend on the phone for an hour or two whilst I am working.

I will not open every email which lands into my box and become distracted by reading correspondence which has nothing to do with work.

Try creating a not-to-do list and watch those bad habits dissolve as they are replaced with methods that keep you on track and produce maximum results with minimum effort.