Twitter CEO Reveals How to Improve Productivity with a 'Won't Do' List

Productivity isn’t just about what you should do, but also what you should not do. That’s why Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey writes a list on what he will and won’t do at the start of each day.

Similar to a lot of office workers, Dorsey starts his day by listing some priorities such as meditating, working out, writing memos and reading. What is special is he also keeps a won’t-do list that reminds him what not to do.

His "won't do" list included drinking alcohol and making a decision on an initiative labeled "#fast team initiatives."

The co-founder of Twitter said "Every morning I write a checklist of work I intend to do today, and work I won't do today," explaining that he's more "focused on more strategic efforts rather than calendar stuff."

"The "won't do" list is often more important than the "do" list." - Jack Dorsey. Pic source: JD Lasica

He also said that he checks out the “won’t do” section before he goes to sleep. Sooner or later, many of these items are moved to the “to-do” list.

Bestselling author of “15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management” Kevin Kruse said that “to-do” lists often get a bad reputation because they don't "distinguish between urgent and important,"

“To-do” lists don’t acknowledge other important tasks. As a result, these lists don’t always reflect the decisions you need to make in a given day to move forward on main priorities.

Jack Dorsey's daily list of dos and won't dos.

Jack Dorsey’s daily checklists show he’s careful and mindful about what he will and won’t work on. This helps him to take control and improve his time management. As a matter of fact, ruling out irrelevant tasks is important for boosting productivity.

"The "won't do" list is often more important than the "do" list. Setting the intention to deliberately not work on something gives me clearer space to think and work, and be less reactive. Some items stay on the lists for days/weeks/months" tweeted Dorsey.

Dorsey has talked about his "won't do" lists several times in the past. The "won't do" list he shared during a talk included being late, avoiding eye contact and setting expectations he couldn't meet.