Each morning, I wake up with a fierce determination: today is the day I conquer my to-do list! I tell myself I’m going to tackle tasks like a champion, and I’ll feel amazing for it. I’m ready to check off those boxes and revel in productivity. But, much like my resolution to quit sugar, reality often has a different plan.
Some days, I manage to make significant strides on my endless list of “things to do.” But more often than not, as evening approaches, I find myself gazing at the wrinkled laundry that’s been sitting in the basket for days, reminiscing about calls I forgot to make, and scolding myself for neglecting the toilet cleaning duty…again (let’s hope no guests need to use that bathroom anytime soon).
We create to-do lists to keep track of our responsibilities because our minds can’t possibly hold all the details. While lists themselves are beneficial for staying organized, it’s often the unrealistic deadlines we impose on every single task, no matter how minor, that become overwhelming. It’s a relentless race against a clock that seems to tick faster every day.
Why do we put ourselves through this? Sure, we want to get the laundry folded on time, but if we don’t, is anyone really going to suffer? Missing a clean shirt from the drawer instead of the basket isn’t going to ruin anyone’s day. What’s a few wrinkles compared to the mental relief we’d gain by ignoring the trivial?
Invisible deadlines are only part of the reason we need to ease up on our to-do lists. Think about all the tasks we complete that never make it onto our lists. I’ve never jotted down “spend 20 minutes scraping gum off the carpet” or “clean up after the dog.” Our lists would be significantly longer and much more satisfying if we included those real-life tasks. Yet, we tend to overlook the countless hours spent on unwritten chores, focusing only on what’s documented. And when we leave items unchecked, we criticize ourselves rather than celebrating our accomplishments.
Consider this: sports teams have cheerleaders and pep rallies because constant negativity can hurt performance. Why should we be any different when we are our own worst critics? If anyone else spoke to us the way our inner dialogue does, we’d be appalled. It’s time to stop accepting that level of scrutiny from ourselves.
Even if our output falls short of our expectations, we should still acknowledge our small victories. Plus, it’s much easier to set goals for tomorrow when we aren’t dragging around the weight of unrealistic self-imposed standards.
We do a lot, and if you’re not convinced, try doing nothing for a couple of days and see how quickly everything around you falls apart! So, let’s say it together: “To-do list, you’re not the boss of me. I’ll get to what I can, when I can.”
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In summary, it’s important to recognize that we all do plenty, even if it doesn’t make it onto our lists. Let’s give ourselves a break and focus on what truly matters, rather than stressing over every minor detail.