You know the feeling: The holiday is over and you are back at work. All the jobs you have been putting off now crowd into your mind. It feels like there is a huge mountain of work and your neck and shoulders start to tense up. You fortify yourself with strong coffee as the headache starts to build.
If you are self-employed like me, it can feel as if the work never ends. You can’t just complete the assignment your boss gave you and then relax for the rest of the day. I love sessions with my clients but behind the scenes there is an endless stream of work to build the business, update the website, handle all the administration, develop new products, organise the training sessions, schedule events, answer all the emails – and so on. Even if you work for a boss, the demands on your time and attention probably seem never ending.
I remember the days when finishing work at 5pm was time to ‘clock-off’ and relax. I hardly gave a thought to work outside of office hours. Now we are all endlessly connected and we bring our work home with us on the laptop and phone.
The To-Do List
So I started my day by writing my To-Do List. This helps me a lot because half the stress is trying to remember all the things I have to do. Having it written down allows me to feel like I am organised and I won’t forget important tasks. Also, I realise that a lot of things on my list can be done really quickly. The best thing about the To-Do List is crossing things off! It gives me a lot of satisfaction and I can see the burden of tasks shrinking quickly.
Today is my first day back in the office. I was working last week but I was running an intensive five-day retreat and then a full-on weekend training course. So I focused on those activities and put aside all the other jobs I had to do. This morning I started by writing my To-Do List and then I paused. I decided to give priority to an item that wasn’t even on my list.
When I looked at my To-Do List, I noticed what was happening inside my body: I was tensing up. Then I asked myself a really important question, ‘Of all the jobs on your list, which give you satisfaction or enjoyment?’
The answer surprised me: ‘All of them!’
I’m good at my work and I take pride in doing it to a high standard; I love learning new things; I enjoy writing and graphic design work; I like investing in new tools to make my website and business flow better; I love my one-on-one meetings; I open my email inbox with excitement each morning; I love reaching out and building new relationships and new opportunities; I get satisfaction with organising my schedule….. and so on.
So why does my To-Do List feel like a burden?
The answer came with crystal clarity: The ONLY reason my list of tasks weighs me down is the mental frame I have put them in. The To-Do List automatically feels like a pile of stuff ‘that I have to do’, an obligation, an onus, a weight of responsibility, a worry, something that will tax my energy. Yet all of the jobs on my list are things I choose to do, they give me satisfaction and enjoyment! A happy day is doing many of these things!
So at the beginning of today I ignored all the items on my To-Do List and decided to reflect deeper on this habitual way of thinking, and then to share my thoughts in this blog.
To-Enjoy List
Today is the last day I will ever write a To-Do List. Henceforth, I will only write a To-Enjoy List!
With every item on my new list, I have paused for a moment to reflect on the pleasure and satisfaction that task will give me. Even if the task is mundane – following up an unpaid invoice, for instance – I can reflect with gratitude on the income that my work generates. I can decide to be kind and generous, rather than annoyed and judgmental, to a late-paying client. I can add a note of appreciation to my business emails. I can feel excited about future opportunities that my work of correspondence might generate.
Finally, I paused to reflect about what is NOT written on my list. Does my list only include my urgent jobs and have I given time for the more important aspects of investing in personal and professional development? Have I prioritised my health and wellbeing? I am investing in the things that will make my business more successful?
My choice now is to go for a walk, let my tense muscles relax, and to reflect deeply on my new way of framing the many tasks I enjoy in a working day.
The choice is yours
Nobody else decides how you frame your thoughts, what habits you stick to, the attitude you bring to each moment of your working day. What will you choose? Is it time to tear up your To-Do List and instead make it a list of the things you enjoy?
