The Anti To-Do List

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Sometimes you need a stop-doing list more than you need a to-do list. As I make plans for Q2, I’ve realized that often the key to achieving more of your goals is doing less better. This list is inspired by Sahil Bloom's anti to-do list concept, and this quote from one of my favorite poets:

I’m taking a moment to center myself before I travel out of town again this week to another film festival. If you’re in the Wilmington area, tell me what local businesses I should visit!

• I stopped saying “yes” to unnecessary meetings. I was already doing this, but I’ve been doubling down on it this year as I’ve been traveling more and creating at scale. I want to say “yes” to every person who asks for my time, but I simply won’t have time to do the work that matters if I’m always in a meeting.

• I stopped checking my YouTube analytics every 5 seconds. I uninstalled the YouTube Studio app on my phone and my life has known so much peace. More emphasis on pressing publish, less time spent studying graphs that won’t move unless I press publish.

• I stopped letting the word “no” bother me. I feel like the saying "get used to hearing no" was so much easier to accept when my business was smaller. I wasn't hearing that many no’s because I wasn't getting or pitching for that many opportunities. When your business is in growth mode or even when trying to scale, you'll hear drastically more no's in all shapes and sizes. Those rejections have largely nothing to do with you, but they will still sting all the same. And I guess that’s the price of growth, and I'm just ponying up and paying it. I think the way I'm reframing it is, “what's for me is for me. And if I put myself out there and something doesn't work out or I get a rejection email, that's not wasted effort.” I heard it best from Chioke of Resonate Podcast Festival, "applying for grants, or anything really, gives you the opportunity to be clear about what it is you want and what you are looking to do." So have honest conversations with yourself, get as clear as possible, and consider every possible avenue for giving yourself a “yes.”

• I’ve stopped going for the biggest version of my vision first. In Spike Lee's Masterclass, the most important quote he said was "make the film you can afford to make right now." There will always be a bigger version of your vision that you can work up to, but there are also likely smaller, and more consistent steps you could be taking right now to grow into that bigger version. And those steps will help you prepare for that bigger version.

• I’ve stopped making excuses for not moving my body (even when the weather isn't fun). It's easy to want to hibernate in the winter, but I've been working on staying intentional with my health and wellness, even when I don't feel like it.

These are the starting 5 on the list, and I’ll likely add more as the year goes on. What are you adding to your anti to-do list? Respond to this email or leave a comment and let me know!

In the next article, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Podcast Movement Evolutions. If you’re new to this community from the event, hello and welcome! If you haven't already, take a minute to complete this survey so that I can tailor my articles to what you’d like to learn!