Personally, I'm not a fly -by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of person. I am a planner. I make lists of things to do - I love the satisfaction of crossing them off my list. I've made countless goals, bucket lists, and most mornings, I set my intentions for the day: Today I am going to have a great day. I will accomplish everything on my list of things to do, I will eat healthy, I will be happy.
But the reality is, quite often my to-do list still has unchecked items on it at the end of the day, I ate something I shouldn't have, and my bucket list has all but one item still unreached. Unfinished to-do lists leave us feeling disappointed, frustrated, and usually unhappy with ourselves. When did life become so stressful. Why do we place so much pressure on ourselves to accomplish so much.
Goals are important. And they are attainable. Without goals, what would we strive for in the future. There is nothing wrong with planning your day, setting your intentions, having a list of things you need or want to accomplish, however, we need to be easier on ourselves if those goals don't meet the deadlines we've set in place. The world is hard enough without us beating ourselves up over unmet goals.
My point is, life is happening and we only get this day once. Do we want to be burdened with stressing over getting something checked off the list or would we rather be enjoying the day around us. We are given each day as a gift. There is no limit to the goals we can achieve - but if the goal keeps us from enjoying our lives in the here and now, is it worth pushing so hard to achieve?
The way I see it, based on the Law-of-Attraction, if you have endless to-do items on a list that when unmet leaves you feeling less than happy about it - you will be attracting more of the same. In my recent epiphany - I realized this is a version of the movie Groundhog's Day in that I constantly write down items I NEED TO DO, and then I'm constantly frustrated at the end of the day when I run out of time to get things done. Each day I repeat the same thing with the same results.
The words "To-Do List" conjure a negative feeling. I've got so much TO DO today! Yet, how do you feel when you accomplish something on your list? Grateful? Happy? Light bulb moment!! May I suggest you stop calling it a To-Do List and start calling it a GRATITU-DO List! Just changing the name from a negative connotation to a positive one shifts your whole mindset. Just saying it puts a smile on your face. Try it! Gratitu-do! (I feel like a crowing rooster!)
It's still a list of things you hope to accomplish, but it shifts the negative away from your list and each time you're able to check a task off, you'll offer more gratitude which only reinforces your mindset around your list. And at the end of the day, when you realize you still have unfinished items to do, you'll be reminded to offer gratitude for what you did accomplish and be thankful that tomorrow is a new day full of possibilities for accomplishing your Gratitu-do list. How can you be upset over an unfinished Gratitu-do list? It will certainly be harder than an unfinished To-do list!
Goals are meant to be reached. Consider the journey part of the pleasure in achieving the goal. Make Gratitu-do part of that journey. You'll be happier. And more grateful when you arrive.
GRATITU-DOOOOOOOOOOOO (that's me crowing like a rooster!)
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