Sometimes it is terrific to tame the to-do list and let some things go! Just because you put it on the list, it doesn’t have to stay.
We place things on our to-do lists for a reason. Normally the reason is that the things need to get done. The items on our to-do lists serve a purpose. They remind us of what we need to do, of steps on our journey. However, sometimes things on our list don’t need to get done but need to be let go. A thing we put on the to-do list on Monday, planning to do it on Thursday, may become obsolete before it is completed.
Our to-do lists are long and more often than not, contain too many things. So, we must be brave and not afraid to let some of the things go. We all have watched the TV show Hoarders and been filled with curiosity, wonder, and amazement at how a person could collect so much stuff. When we do that, we do not think about the things we collect and add to our to-do lists and leave them there long after they should have been thrown away.
We are bombarded with advice about completing things on our to-do list. At times, it seems that we become slaves to the list. Once an item is on the list, we keep it there for all eternity if need be until that thing is completed and moved off the list.
Pruning is good for more than gardens so prune your to-do list on regular basis.
There are many things we keep on the to-do lists that need to be let go of. Some things are kept by our own choosing. Other things stay on the list because they are important to other people. The fact remains, at times, we need to look at the list and let things go in order to make life better and more fulfilling. Today is a good day to tame your list by taking some things off the list.
There are things you can do if you are scared to take things off your to-do list. You can remove items from your active list and put them on a do someday list. That way you will not see them every day as you are working on your list. Instead of making your list a catch-all, be strategic. Keep a master to-do list for brainstorming all the things you want to do. Then divide that list into lists for things you will do this year, this month, and this week. Look at your to-do list for today and remove anything you will not do today.
Think of your to-do list as a tool you use to be more productive. Do not think of it, or use it as a prison that you are bound to with no way out. You control the list. Do not let the list control you. Just as gardens are healthier with pruning, so to well be your to-do list.
So the question for you this terrific day is what are you going to remove from rotation on your to-do list?