- The Elite Operators Report
- Posts
- Stop, Conquer, Grow: How a Stop-Doing List Can Turbocharge Your Goals
Stop, Conquer, Grow: How a Stop-Doing List Can Turbocharge Your Goals
Bottom Line Upfront: To achieve a higher level of performance professionally and personally, every Operator should maintain a prioritized Stop-Doing List. Learn the research-backed structure to get the most out of yours.
Steve Kahle
January 03, 2024
⬆️ Mindset Shift
Personal and work-related Stop-Doing Lists are essential to improve the speed of desired behavior change. The high-performing Operator builds and maintains prioritized Stop-Doing Lists within a proven research-backed format with only a few items at a time.
📋 Why Stop-Doing Lists Are Critical
As we live out a rigorous dedication to personal development to improve, reach goals, and execute with excellence, every Operator should consider maintaining a work and personal Stop-Doing List.
A Stop-Doing list is a critical behavior modification tool if operationalized correctly.
When constructed properly, a Stop-Doing List comprises items that typically frame an unwanted behavior that needs to be replaced with a desired one.
“Sometimes our stop-doing list needs to be bigger than our to-do list.”
Your Stop-Doing List should be grounded in the ‘If/Then Planning’ framework.
Consider this ‘If/Then Planning’ illuminating quote from the social psychologist Dr. Heidi Halvorson:
“By far the most powerful technique researchers have found in the past 50 years for people trying to reach goals is If/Then Planning.”
Here is Halvorson writing in Psychology Today giving the simple yet powerful ‘If/Then Planning’ formula that will help you better build out your Stop-Doing List:
“If X happens, then I will do Y.
X can be a time and place, like Monday at 9 a.m., or it can be an event, like the arrival of the dessert menu at a restaurant. Y is the specific action you will take whenever X occurs.
So Step 1, "Eat less," becomes something like "When the dessert menu comes, I will ignore it and order coffee." Step 2, "Work out more," turns into "I will work out for an hour at the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays before work."
Amazingly, you are two to three times more likely to succeed if you use an if-then plan than if you don't.”
📖 Can I Replace a Beer Craving with Sparking Water?
Being a fan of Halvorson over the years, I immediately tested the ‘If/Then Planning’ format after hearing her quote mentioned above.
With a goal to lose weight, I knew I could get closer by cutting out enjoying a beer at the end of each day. My preferred beer was a single Fire Eagle IPA, so my potential caloric reduction could be 1344 calories weekly. Although skeptical it would work, I decided to test replacing the beer with La Croix, a natural zero-calorie sparkling water beverage, in the evening. Because both have a high kick of carbonation, I believed this to be a suitable test.
So, here was my ‘If/Then Planning’ format to test:
If I crave a beer at the end of the day, I will drink a La Croix instead.
Realizing results will vary by person, I was blown away by how I went for the La Croix instead of racing for the cold Fire Eagle IPA in only about a week. The habit has now stuck for years, and today, I enjoy an alcoholic beverage only occasionally.
⚡ PRO TIP: I recommend having a maximum of 3 active Stop-Doing List items to maintain focus for your personal and work lists. A prioritized backlogged item can be brought in once an item has been accomplished.
Here are three other Stop-Doing List examples I currently have in-flight or active:
1️⃣ Focus Work Example:
If I want to check an inbox when in a Work Sprint or transitioning during work, I will refer to my calendar to see my next Communication Sprint instead and then continue with what I had already planned.
Desired behavior: Better/cleaner focus and mental energy during the workday.
2️⃣ Meeting Work Example:
If I am on a phone call or meeting and sense a desire to multitask, I will remind myself of the many multitasking pitfalls and instead honor the meeting participants with my full attention.
Desired behavior: Better focus and attention during meetings.
3️⃣ Bed Time Routine Example:
If I want to watch YouTube videos before bed, I will listen to a podcast instead.
Desired behavior: Avoid multi-modal stimuli (visual and audio) before bed that can impact sleep quality. Sleep researcher Matt Walker uses this approach. Source.
⏱️As we wrap up, should Stop-Doing List items be time-bound? Should each have a due date?
If a Stop-Doing List is tied to an active goal, the goal should have a target completion date. Otherwise, set your Stop-Doing List items to quarterly timeframes, be flexible, and allow a follow-up quarter if needed.
💥 Operational Action:
I recommend investing 3-5 minutes right now and framing a work and personal item for your Stop-Doing List. This simple step can build into behavior-changing momentum, allowing you to reach your goals faster.
🔎 Want to Go Deeper?
I recommend reading my Level Up Your Goals: Increase Your Chances for Success with These 7 Essential Elements post for more about helping you tune your goal-setting for higher levels of success.
If you want to go even deeper, consider applying for my next Productivity Accelerator, where I provide a holistic productivity platform, including how to track and manage your Stop-Doing List.
💡 What Do You Think?
Consider leaving a comment or a question so others can benefit and learn.
🛠️ Tools Mentioned:
No tools were mentioned, although I use Trello to manage and measure my Stop-Doing Lists.
☁️ AI Content Disclaimer:
Bard and ChatGPT offered help with the subject line and providing SEO phrases. Everything else is 100% human-created content.
✅ Mind Break:
Since you made it this far, check out this short hydrofoil board video showing persistence paying off.
🗓️ What’s Coming Up Next:
Next week, be on the lookout for how I got started using AI, along with some top prompts.
Let’s all keep striving to be Elite Operators,
Steve Kahle | ELITE OPERATORS
🔵 P.S.
P.S. If you find value, consider signing up for The Elite Operator Report if you haven’t already. I encourage you to share my content with others, which is a great way to help me build a growing community of elite operators. Also, check out my no-cost resources, like the Ideal Recurring Week Mini-Course. You can also apply for my next Productivity Accelerator, become a paid subscriber, or recommend me for executive coaching, operational and technology consulting, or speaking opportunities like this interview called Time Architecture, Transition from Stressed, and Distracted to Focused.
You can also contact me directly on LinkedIn or through this contact form.
Reply