“Throwing away the list…”

 Shared by Breanne Smedley

I have a confession to make.

I’m a recovering “list-maker.”

I teeter on the verge of addiction when it comes to writing out long lists of things I need to accomplish.

Categorized by theme, of course.

Lists of things that need to get done around the house.

Lists of what I need to do for volleyball.

List of things that need to be done for school.

Lists for Mindfluent® Leadership and mindset coaching,

Lists dedicated for personal and family to-dos.

Then, sub-lists for all of these things. Breaking down the bigger projects into lists of smaller steps.

I really enjoy checking things off the list. To the point where I confess that I have written something down that had failed to get on my list…just to check it off.

So, I’ve got a thing with lists. That’s been established.

With anything, I have to ask myself, “Is this serving me?”

Most of the time, I’d say yes. It feels really good to get all the stuff floating around in my head onto paper.

The problem, though, comes in when I review these lists from day to day and week to week.

Most of the time, there are the same handful of items that stay on the list with each passing week.

Never to be checked off.

Like that nagging toilet handle that needs to be fixed, but stays slightly broken, but still okay-enough to work. “Ugh, I need to fix this!” Only for it to stay the same. (It’s on the list…).

To add to this, I keep putting more and more things at the bottom of the already long list.

I was listening to Brooke Castillo on the Life School podcast recently.

She told me to throw away my lists.

“What?!” I thought. How will I remember what do to?

The concept was simple, and one that has turned my list-making addiction into something that is actually serving me.

Step 1: Brain dump everything (check! Over and over…)
Step 2: Go through each item and actually schedule when you’re going to do each thing. Give yourself a set amount of time to get it done.
Step 3: Throw away the list
Step 4: Follow the plan you made

Step 3 and 4 are the hardest.

To toss my security blanket of “all the things” I need to accomplish

To actually sit down and DO the thing that I’ve been subconsciously avoiding and keeping on my list from week to week.

(Ahmm..compiling my book).

But, it’s freeing at the same time.

And an exercise in trusting myself.

Trusting myself that I am capable of accomplishing what I put on my list (big and small).

And trusting myself to follow-through.

While also experiencing less guilt when I come across a chunk of free time in my day.

Free to enjoy it, rather than think “what can I check off my list?”

Because I’ll tell you what’s more addicting than making and checking things off lists…

Is actually getting stuff done.

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#MindfullyEvolving

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