Why every marketer needs a ‘do-not-do’ list | Farmer

There is a tendency in marketing to solve every problem by doing more. Add another channel, play a new campaign, test five variations, jump in another meeting, turn five more dashboards. It didn’t take long, you priority, you just respond.

I have been there more times than I would admit. But a while ago I came across a question from Tim Ferriss (from his blog post “17 questions that have changed my life“) That shifted how I think about work:

• “What if I could only deduct to solve problems?”

That idea stayed with me. What if instead of asking what else I could do, I wondered what I could remove? What did I do out of habit, obligation or fear that the needle did not really move? Turns out a lot.

Subtraction as a strategy

Ferriss also asks this question:

• “If I could only work on my company for two hours every week, what would I do?”

Now I don’t work two hours a week (I wish), but the limitation is useful. It forces clarity and impact on volume. When time is tight, it leads to what is important and, more importantly, what is not.

This is now especially important, given the rapid acceptance of AI and automation and the desire to do more. I am not against efficient, but the effort must be effective.

Then I started to keep a DO-note-do list, a concept that I first encountered in writing Ferriss.

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What is a non-DO list?

It is exactly how it sounds: a short list of tasks, habits or standard reactions that I have deliberately decided not Spend energy on – or at least only when it will be really impact.

This is not a productivity hack or a smart task list app. It is more a mentality filter, something that I regularly visit again to stay focused on the work that stimulates the results.

Here are a few real items from my list over the years (some of them come from other Ferriss sources, such as “the 4-hour working week”).

Don’t start your day with e -mail

This may be difficult for some roles that are more manager. From a realistic point of view, most E -mails are not fire exercises and require a response within the first hour or by morning. This space makes it possible to build, create or to think deep before reactive e -mail reactions.

Do not often consume LinkedIn

After checking my screen time I removed the app. I have drastically reduced my LinkedIn use. Guess what? I am less concerned about what I have to do, I have missed nothing important and I have more time ago.

Do not consume content to consume content

I am naturally curious and always want to learn from others:

• What they tried.
• What works.
• What I might miss.

But I realized that it became overwhelming and unproductive. Now I only look for content for a skill or challenge that I am actively working on. I think someone who did well and then tunes the rest.

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Do not accept projects that I cannot batch

Projects with constant start-stop rhythms refuel me. Task circuit kills Momentum and burns energy.

I avoid everything that does not focus, allow batch style work, unless it is a favor for a customer or friend I want to help.

Do not plan meetings two days a week

This one is huge for me. By having days without a meeting, I can work deeper or process major decisions, either for customers or internal strategy. I know this is not easy for every team, but I have noticed how often I call with 5+ people who don’t have to be there.

We have asked internally more often: Should this person become a member of Live? Or can we catch up asynchronously? It’s not about cutting out people, it’s about respecting their time.

Some of these may sound small or obvious, but over time they create space – mentally and logistics – for deeper work. By cutting noise, my team was able to spend more time on insights that actually produce results.

Why this works (especially in marketing)

Marketing is one of those roles that will fill all the time that you give it. There is always another test to perform, another angle to explore, to draw another report. If you are not careful, you can spend all weeks at work that looks pressure, but actually nothing move forward.

The Do-not-do list is not going to do less for more time to relax. It is about removing noise so that you can do the things that matter.

In my own work (Running a Boutique Performance Marketing Bureau) this means:

• Shorter, more focused internal calls.
• Fast internal debrief of 15 minutes instead of 30 or 60 minutes of meetings.
• Do not have check-ins to have check-ins.

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How you can build your own do-not-do list

This doesn’t have to be. I started mine in a blank Google Doc. Here is how you can get started.

• Audit your week: View last week’s agenda and task list. What has your energy emptied? What has not produced clear results?
• Question: “If I stopped with this, what would break?” If the answer “nothing is that matters” or “I would feel guilty”, that is an indication.
• Set limitations: TRy Ferriss’ questions: What if I could only deduct to solve problems?
  • If I could only work for two hours this week, what would I do – and what would I skip?
  • It’s extreme, but that’s the point. Sometimes you need an extreme lens to see what really matters.
• Write your first 3-5 Do-not-dos: Make them specific and personal. This is about freeing yourself from habits with low leverage.
• Visit monthly: This is not a one -off list. Priorities shift. Add and subtract if necessary.

A few ideas to consider

What should be on your list? Here are some suggestions:

• Do not respond immediately to every e -mail.
• Do not start the day in meetings, protect at least one morning a week.
• Don’t make reports that nobody reads. Ask people if they actually use these reports.
• Stand not to more channels, do not double what works.
• Do not live with brainstorming without clear objectives.

And one that I leaned heavily on this year:

• Do not confuse the movement with progress.

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Turn the script around: try the non-do-mindset

This is not a magical bullet – you will not suddenly cut your workload in two or turn your team into a productivity machine at night. But a non-DO list gives you something just as valuable: a break. And often that is all you need to take a step back, reset it and to make better choices.

If you feel thin or spread, turn the script. Don’t ask: “What else should I do?” Instead, ask: “What would happen if I didn’t do this anymore?”

That single shift in perspective can create the space for deeper work, clearer priorities and results that actually move the needle.