What if your to-do list was filled with values and verbs that light you up instead of tedious tasks that take a toll on your soul?
My usual to-do list includes preparing for sessions with clients, planning for workshops that I’ll be facilitating, returning emails, and managing logistics for my business and household. Last week, since I was on a staycation, I opened my planner and used the space slated for such tasks to write the following words on each of the lines provided…
To-Do:
Create
Learn
Laugh
Think
Pray
Breathe
Connect
Rest
Think about how easy it is to get so inundated with busyness that you don’t end up with any time left for these simple yet powerful practices. It is possible to sleep without resting, eat without thinking, be in the presence of people without connecting, and consume information independent of learning.
What if you set aside time to consider the ways of being that hold the most meaning for you, and replaced the tedium with intention?
Here are a few strategies to get you started on the creation of your new to-do list:
Recognize What Energizes You. Mentally walk through a typical day in your life. As you imagine yourself immersed in each task, what do you feel in your body? If nothing ignites a spark, think back to the last time you were engaged in an activity, or in the presence of a person who felt electric. Add that activity or individual to your new to-do list.
Identify What Needs More Time. Consider the things and people who mean the most to you. Think of the things that truly bring you joy. I love that my planner has a space for a work to-do list and a personal to-do list. The personal list reminds me to make time for what matters to me because I could easily spend all of my time working. What do you wish you could spend more time doing? Add that special person or practice to your new to-do list.
Start with One Step. When to-do lists get too long, they become overwhelming. Their purpose shifts from helping us to feel calmer and more organized, to creating more anxiety. When we begin to feel this way, procrastination, avoidance, and ultimately resentment sets in. Scale it back and sort the items in order of priority. If you accomplished nothing else today, this week, or this month, what would be the one thing that simply must happen? Start there. I encourage you to take it a step further and start with something that is completely for and about you. When we prioritize ourselves, everyone and everything else gets our highest and best service.
This week I challenge you to schedule, plan for, and prioritize items on your to-do list that make your soul sing. When you make time for what matters most, it makes space for you to be able to show up as your whole and best self.
Manifestation Affirmations
I am prioritizing my values.
I am present in my process.
I am worth putting myself first.
Master Your Mindset to Manifest a Life You Love. Most Sincerely, Monica Marie Jones Your Soul Journey Guide