thank you Marta, I love your insights. I'm wondering these days on : should I keep the long lists on "things I should do eventually" (just like your "touch up the wine dark”) or get rid of it ? After all, if I have to do it, I'll remember when it becomes both urgent and important or when I have the time and energy. We've been together for so long, the never ending list, I'm afraid to let it go. For now, I try to delete items I know aren't urgent nor important, one by one. That's a start.
I'll translate your text in French, I'll let you know when it's published.
I just saw your footnote about tracking the weather in your to-do list and wanted to say you might like having a little weather station! My parents have this thing about the size of a small iPad in their kitchen that displays weather info from a wireless component that sits outside. I totally respect giving up the list; a therapist I saw briefly a few years ago told me to limit my daily list to 6 tasks because mine was always a mile long and overwhelming me. I scoffed at first but it turned out to be super helpful because it gives me an actually achievable end point to the day.
I used to think I needed to change myself to be more this or to be more that. Until I had a realisation that i had to just accept myself (I’m taking baby steps emulating this everyday ☃️). Tasks being the “stuff of life” really makes sense and in my mind that phrase helps me put less pressure on myself & I don’t have to really change anything about me. I feel the energy I get when I tell myself I can do hard things & the power of placing the hard things outside of myself.
I have been putting off writing to you thinking I need to craft the most perfect response : I received your post card & I was so touched.
Commented on IG… I love how to a T we are, even the headings above each day. Wish we could body double! I’m slowly spending less time on socials, working much harder to engage my brain/memory each day rather than relying on a ‘second brain’. It’s a lot of discomfort like learning a new language, but I think it’s paying off.
I have been on a very similar journey! The question on this side of it is simply: how can I thrive (important: not "succeed") at the things I want to without forcing myself? Because I'm not willing to be unkind to myself anymore. I'm not a cop. Not going to act like it to myself. 💜💜
Wooooow!! I still haven’t found a way to handle all my tasks without doing them asap if possible — my long term things I find so easy to forget, especially without structure that’s external or internal. Really interesting way of looking at productivity though ❤️
This article is the intellectual/literary equivalent of a dayspa. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Reading this helped me realise my to-do lists serve two functions: 1. Helping me not forget to do things 2. Torture myself in much the same way you describe.
Where I am, in Australia, it is common to take time off between xmas and new year and then normally several weeks into January. January is a very slow time. I have taken the summer very slow this year. Today was the first day i did anything remotely work-y. And i haven’t been making many to-do lists or planning my weeks
This article has helped me seriously rethink to what extent i will go back to productivity culture as i ramp up work again. I am very inspired to focus on the remembering-tasks side and yeeting the torturing side. ❤️
thank you Marta, I love your insights. I'm wondering these days on : should I keep the long lists on "things I should do eventually" (just like your "touch up the wine dark”) or get rid of it ? After all, if I have to do it, I'll remember when it becomes both urgent and important or when I have the time and energy. We've been together for so long, the never ending list, I'm afraid to let it go. For now, I try to delete items I know aren't urgent nor important, one by one. That's a start.
I'll translate your text in French, I'll let you know when it's published.
It's online ! https://systemececilia.wordpress.com/2025/02/02/faire-ou-ne-pas-faire-de-to-do-list/
I just saw your footnote about tracking the weather in your to-do list and wanted to say you might like having a little weather station! My parents have this thing about the size of a small iPad in their kitchen that displays weather info from a wireless component that sits outside. I totally respect giving up the list; a therapist I saw briefly a few years ago told me to limit my daily list to 6 tasks because mine was always a mile long and overwhelming me. I scoffed at first but it turned out to be super helpful because it gives me an actually achievable end point to the day.
Love the idea of a little local weather station! I’ll look into it! Sounds like a great therapist ;-)
I love this! It’s making me think differently about things…
I used to think I needed to change myself to be more this or to be more that. Until I had a realisation that i had to just accept myself (I’m taking baby steps emulating this everyday ☃️). Tasks being the “stuff of life” really makes sense and in my mind that phrase helps me put less pressure on myself & I don’t have to really change anything about me. I feel the energy I get when I tell myself I can do hard things & the power of placing the hard things outside of myself.
I have been putting off writing to you thinking I need to craft the most perfect response : I received your post card & I was so touched.
Commented on IG… I love how to a T we are, even the headings above each day. Wish we could body double! I’m slowly spending less time on socials, working much harder to engage my brain/memory each day rather than relying on a ‘second brain’. It’s a lot of discomfort like learning a new language, but I think it’s paying off.
I have been on a very similar journey! The question on this side of it is simply: how can I thrive (important: not "succeed") at the things I want to without forcing myself? Because I'm not willing to be unkind to myself anymore. I'm not a cop. Not going to act like it to myself. 💜💜
Wooooow!! I still haven’t found a way to handle all my tasks without doing them asap if possible — my long term things I find so easy to forget, especially without structure that’s external or internal. Really interesting way of looking at productivity though ❤️
This article is the intellectual/literary equivalent of a dayspa. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Reading this helped me realise my to-do lists serve two functions: 1. Helping me not forget to do things 2. Torture myself in much the same way you describe.
Where I am, in Australia, it is common to take time off between xmas and new year and then normally several weeks into January. January is a very slow time. I have taken the summer very slow this year. Today was the first day i did anything remotely work-y. And i haven’t been making many to-do lists or planning my weeks
This article has helped me seriously rethink to what extent i will go back to productivity culture as i ramp up work again. I am very inspired to focus on the remembering-tasks side and yeeting the torturing side. ❤️