You already know what you should be doing. The problem is everything that pulls you away from it. The Slack DM asking you to "quickly look at something." The recruiter message that triggers doubt. The conference invite that feels like an opportunity but costs you 3 days of momentum.
This page is where you name those things out loud.
<aside> 💡
Inversion (Munger). "Tell me where I'm going to die, so I don't go there." The "I will not do" column isn't a shame list. It's your answer to the question: what behaviors will guarantee I stay stuck?
</aside>
<aside> âš¡
Responsive vs. Reactive. Responsive means you evaluate something against your vision and your Epics before acting. Reactive means an emotion (anxiety, FOMO, guilt) made the decision for you. If you feel busy but nothing moved, you were reactive.
</aside>
| I will do | I will not do |
|---|---|
| e.g. Block 2 hours Tuesday for the technical spec | e.g. Take unscheduled calls from stakeholders who could have sent an email |
| e.g. Run the weekly check-in every Friday | e.g. Apply to jobs when I'm anxious about a board review |
Last reviewed:
Revisit monthly. When you catch yourself doing something from the right column, don't beat yourself up. Stop and redirect.