Is a publishing professional with more than twenty years of

The “nOT-TO-DO” LiST anD The “LeT-OTherS-DO-iT” LiST
We do a lot of what we do today because we did it yesterday, and 
the day before. We’re accustomed to doing it, perhaps even in the 
habit of doing it, and doing it is actually easier than not doing it.
You may need to create a “
not
-to-do” list to remind you of the 
tasks  you’ve  decided  to  eliminate  from  your  routine.  This  may 
J U S T   D O N ’ T   D O   I T !

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seem silly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad idea. See if 
the list helps you; just don’t let anybody else see it.
Which leads us to those tasks that should be done—but not 
by 
you.
Make a list of those tasks you now perform but which you feel 
should be done by someone else. Reasons for putting tasks on this 
list include:
•  I lack the authority to do it right.
•  I lack the skill, information, or tools to do it right.
•  If I do it, other tasks with higher priorities don’t get done.
This list does not, unfortunately, include:
•  “I don’t want to,” or
•  “I don’t like to,” or even
•  “It’s not in my job description” (although this point probably 
should become the subject of a future planning discussion with 
your supervisor).