Inversion applies well to the productivity problem. Instead of asking what to do to be more productive, look for what is making you unproductive, and solve those problems. In my case, it’s the amount and broad range of commitments not tied to my immediate goals.

So this week I’m forgoing my to-do list for a “not-to-do” list. A list of commitments to cancel, meetings I won’t attend, and conversations I no longer need to continue. Also - a reminder that I should never be committing to these things.

This is something I should be doing more often, but I have a backlog I need to clear. It’s time to free up time to focus on what’s most important and start saying no more.