Do you like lists?
They can be useful if they help us remember or achieve a certain goal.
We set intentions.
We write them down.
We aim to get stuff done.
Sometimes though, we can get so caught up in All The Things we think we have to do, we can lose sight of why we’re doing it.
Ironically, To-Do lists can actually be a reason we lose our mojo. For example, they can reinforce the idea we’re falling short if we get to the end of the day and didn’t do what we said we would.
So here’s an idea:
This week, maybe set the intention to Drop the To-Do. It’s ok to write occasional reminders about things you need to do, like pay the gas bill or call someone back. But starting the day with a heavy list of everything you want to achieve can be disheartening when you reach the end of the day and realise you did very little of it.
Instead, as Nir Eyal explains, set the intention to focus on one thing and be “Indestractable” for ten minutes. Then at the end of the day ask yourself “Did I do that one thing for ten minutes that I said I would, without getting distracted?” Measure your success by keeping that one promise you made yourself each day.
It also helps to understand why we don’t get stuff done, for example why we procrastinate and put things off. In his studies, Eyal discovered that 90% of triggers for distraction come from within eg, “I’m feeling edgy, I’ll just check my phone to take my mind off it”. So one thing that can help is every time you feel the urge to check your phone, simply say to yourself “not yet”. Instead of arguing with your mind, just ask it to wait a while. And every time you succeed, reward yourself for a job well done.
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Copyright Delphi Ellis 2021
Helping You Sparkle™ 