Are you addicted to your TO DO list?
Are you addicted to your to-do list? Do you add things to the list just to tick them off? Do you get a sense of unease when you do nothing for too long?
I built my career on being organised and productive, but I had a realisation a couple of years ago that I was living my entire life by a TO-DO list.
Throughout my career I developed habits and learnt lots of productivity hacks that have helped me achieve things I’m proud of, like running complex projects, winning large global accounts, moving countries, and most recently juggling a part-time job in the advertising industry alongside setting up my own business.
There’s nothing that satisfies me more than opening a well-organised list at the start of the day and being able to tick things off things a few hours later. The sense of accomplishment this can give is gratifying; it’s a basic human need to make progress and feel that we’re adding value.
Psychology has shown that when we use a to-do list it frees our brain up to focus on other tasks and often, we are rewarded for doing and showing the fruits of our labour, particularly in the corporate world. So, of course, we’re going to do things that make us feel good and get the approval of the people around us.
But the world of work, and our ‘always-on’ way of living has created a culture that prioritises productivity and doing over anything else. It creates the idea that we are only worthy when we’re completing, creating, and doing. It’s harder to relax when living like this; constantly being in ‘response’ mode isn’t good for our brains or our bodies. And it means we miss out on really living and enjoying the good bits that are often right under our nose.
I hit a point in my career that I realised no matter how productive, how ‘successful’, or how far up the ladder I got, that constantly striving for more was a never-ending cycle with temporary moments of satisfaction but ultimately there is no end point and we just keep moving the goal posts. Productivity hacks are helpful but they can become addictive and doing more does not always equal better.
I’m not suggesting we give up entirely and drop the tools that help us or halt our ambitions to grow and the reality is that we all have things that need to get done but I believe that we need to find and create a more balanced version of this.
The art is not to learn how to tick more off the list quicker but to be more focused and intentional about what we are doing and comfortable with the things that we aren’t doing. When we do this we reframe what success looks and feels like.
It’s a constant balance for me, and one that I don’t always get right, but here’s 5 ways that might help you reframe your addiction to productivity:
1. Accept the fact that you’ll always have a to-do list; there is always more you could do
2. Start getting better at estimating how long things take to do and set out to do less in a day; we so often overestimate this which ultimately leaves us feeling like we’ve fallen short or failed in some way.
3. Set measures for success that are not purely based on completing something, but are based on what makes you feel good (or pleased, or successful, whatever word motives you).
4. Identify everything you could do, say NO to everything you decide NOT to do, and celebrate everything you do, because it’s something that matters and adds value. Practice this every day.
5. Schedule time or days in your week where you don’t check your to-do list, don’t make plans, switch your phone off and just let yourself relax / rest / have fun / be spontaneous. Even if you can only manage 30 minutes to begin with.
If you’re looking for ways to stop living life only by a to-do list, and tips on how to get more from every day for yourself or for your team, check out my individual coaching packages and group workshops. I bring a blend of practical tips, action and accountability with techniques from yoga philosophy to help bring more balance and ease.
