Posted on January 6, 2026

Following the last post about the 80/20 Rule, many of you asked the same question: Now that I know what brings in the profit, how do I stop doing everything else?

The answer is not a better To-Do list. The answer is a Not-To-Do List.

Most people think that to grow a business, you have to keep adding more. More services, more social media platforms, more meetings. 

But real growth usually comes from subtraction. High performers in real estate, mortgage, and sales don't just work harder; they are very good at deciding what they will no longer do.

Why Your To-Do List Is Trapping You

A standard To-Do list treats every task as equal. Whether it is filing a paper or closing a deal, they both get a checkbox. 

This creates a trap where you feel productive because you are busy, but your bank account does not reflect that hard work.

A Not-To-Do list is a set of rules that protects your time. It helps you say "No" to the 80 percent of tasks that are draining your energy so you can stay focused on the 20 percent that brings the profit.

Three Things to Put on Your Not-To-Do List Today

If you want to scale your business this year, start by banning these three common time-wasters:

1. Stop Being the Only One Who Can Solve Problems If you are a business owner or a team leader, you might feel like you need to answer every question. This makes you the bottleneck.

• The Rule: I will not answer questions that can be solved with a simple process or a quick search.
• The Result: Your team becomes more independent, and you get hours of your life back.

2. Stop Chasing "Low-Value" Leads Not every lead is a good lead. Some people will take up ten hours of your time and never sign a contract.

• The Rule: I will not go on a consultation or a sales meeting until the lead has been "qualified" by a few basic questions.
• The Result: You only spend your energy on people who are ready to move forward.

3. Stop Checking Communication Every Five Minutes Checking email or messages constantly keeps your brain in a state of distraction. You cannot do deep, profitable work if you are always reacting to pings.

• The Rule: I will not check my email until [specific time] and I will only do it twice a day.
• The Result: You finish your big projects faster and with fewer mistakes.

How to Create Your Own List

Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write down the three tasks you hate doing the most. On the right, write down the three tasks that make you the most money.

Your goal for the next thirty days is to move the tasks on the left to your Not-To-Do list. You can delegate them to an assistant, automate them with software, or simply stop doing them if they are not necessary.

When you clear away the "busy work," you create the space for the "big work." Scaling your business is not about doing more; it is about being brave enough to do less of the things that do not matter.