How many times do you adjust your ‘to do’ lists?
We constantly rely on days of ‘action’ to feel like we are getting somewhere.
The expectation we get from our society is that we’re only worthwhile if we are ‘busy.’
But often when we use the word we are trying to tell people that we feel like we’re losing control.
Like all the things we ‘need’ to do own us rather than us owning them.
The overall effect of making lists can be anxiety, imposter syndrome and overwhelm.
Lists do have their place – they add order to chaos and can help us prioritise but only if they are written with kindness and grit.
Signs Lists Are Controlling You
1. When you panic if you look at your list. This is your body trying to tell you that this approach and the amount you are expecting to get done is not healthy.
2. When you panic if you do not have a list. This is a sign you do not trust your own ability to get stuff done.
3. Fear of trusting your instinct. You have become over reliant on process over ‘gut’ knowledge.
4. When you’re overall narrative is ‘I’ll never finish’. You are setting yourself up to fail by expecting too much.
5. Continually thinking about the list in your relax time. You are replacing self care with self-criticis