When we’re growing up there are all sorts of people telling us what to do when really what we need is space to work out who to be. — Ellen Page
Evernote, Todoist, Trello, Wunderlist; the list of to-do apps are endless. Similarly, there are an infinite number of endeavors we are encouraged to pursue: exercise, follow your passion, read every day, create goals, meditate daily, live by your calendar, establish a yoga practice; again, the list is endless.
I don’t know about you, but I find this both troubling and exhausting. Yet, we push through, because this is what we’re told to do. We’re told this is how we become successful to get the life we want. In reality, this is how we work ourselves into the ground. This is how we turn a happy life into a stressful one.
I’d know, because I’ve followed the experts. I’ve woken up at 5 a.m. to follow their recommended morning rituals. I’ve filled every minute of my day with tasks that didn’t serve me to try and arrive at the golden land of productivity. I’ve followed David Allen’s recommendation and created a meticulous to-do list so I didn’t forget any tasks. I did everything I was “supposed” to do.
The problem is that contentment was always around the corner. There was always something I wasn’t doing, or some “life hack” I was missing, to get ahead. So I stayed up later, worked harder, got more stressed, and became miserable trying to catch up. This was not sustainable, and I learned that lesson the hard way.
I started to question myself and my approach. Why wasn’t I happy? What’s the source of my stress? Is all of this worth the tradeoff? After all, those who are laying on their deathbed tend to wish they hadn’t worked so hard.
Having a strong work ethic and being a responsible individual are important qualities to live a meaningful life, but productivity isn’t everything. We purge our closets, pantries, and workspaces, but how often do we purge our to-do lists?
How often do we purge our calendars and our list of commitments? How often do we ask ourselves if we’re spending time on things that we enjoy or bring us value? If neither apply, why are we doing them? There is no productivity police dictating what to do; let it go. Walk away from the stress and let the motivation find us again.
Spend time on meaningful tasks, but don’t let your to-do list have you on a leash. I like to think of to-do lists like a recipe. Recipes help us when we are learning, but eventually they get in the way. Once we establish a routine and have good habits, staring at a to-do list can become distracting. Live your life and practice good habits that serve you. Focus on living a full and meaningful life, not a life with a full to-do list.