Beat Your To-Do List at Its Own Game
A clever work-around that will stop your pesky little inner taskmaster in its tracks.
Hola Readers,
I almost defaulted to my somewhat regular greeting with… “at press time…” but then I wondered, “Is that a weird way to start?” I mean, obviously anytime I write this is at press time - it’s not like I’m coming to you from the future…
Dear Readers:
Coming to you from the future.
Thought I’d teleport myself to 2045 and give you alien-inspired wellness information, tips on packing for your spring vacation in space, flying car etiquette, and the latest on neural upgrades and robotic limbs.
Plus, paid subscribers have access to full stock reports and Super Bowl outcomes from from the last 20 years.
That would be a silly, untrue, and impossible way to start.
But here’s the story.
This week’s topic would be just as accurate in 2045 as it is today, or as it was twenty years ago.
It deals with something we’ve all been making since grade school...
daily to-do lists.
Writing down what we need to do is just… what we do.
It’s like the to-do list has ultimate job security.
Those tasks just keep coming and coming.
And we just keep writing them down.
But it’s come to the point where we’ve got to put our foot down with this list business.
Just a little bit.
I’ve got a solution that will help you feel better about all the stuff you’ve got to do.
And conveniently, this solution is What I’d Like to Be Talking About:
Here’s an idea for that pesky little to-do list we create daily.
When you write yours out today…
Make another one. (I know, more work. What gives, right?)
Call it your NOT TO DO list. (Thanks, Amy Landino for the idea.)
Fill it with the things you’re not going to do.
For example…
not going to a dinner you have no interest in
not volunteering for something you have no time for
not forcing yourself to do X,Y, or Z when all you want are Zs
I believe you get the idea.
Decide what you don’t want to do.
Write it down.
And DON’T DO IT.
For the win.
Be sure to read to the end for alternative names for the NOT TO DO list - when creating mine, I came up with some ideas. But I included them under the paywall to keep this part PG.
With that, in mind, we’ll get to this week’s links in a minute.
First, I’m continuing with a special link/recognition series for what I’ve coined International Women’s Month. Because a day just isn’t enough screen time.
Everyone is talking about The Tell by Amy Griffin - a story of trauma and overcoming it, and going on to become the founder of G9 Adventures, a female-owned investment firm. (Watch Oprah recommend it on her bestie Gayle’s show.)
An entire directory of Women Owned Businesses (check here before defaulting to Amazon?)
My golfing pals will especially love this. Here’s a golf club that’s entirely run by women! (And owned by the mother-daughter duo of Julie and Tilly Vesely.)
And now… releasing the links.
Every links list has to contain hacks. (It’s practially a law.) Here are some time savers. (Especially ♥️#1.)
Speaking of saving time, forget the trip to the nail salon and save money with this nourishing plant-based nail polish. Or try a nail concealer - polish that’s actually good for your nails. (Your nails will be eternally grateful.)
Looking to conceal all that coffee you’ve been drinking? Maybe this teeth whitening strip kit with LED lighting will help.
Continuing on the self-care kick, how about a podcast to improve your posture? Yes, indeed. Listen to it here and tell me you didn’t just sit up straighter while reading this.
Did you know it’s Sleep Awareness Week?!? I think that justifies new bedding. Find the best deals here, and if your bed is your happy place, maybe this job is for you.
On the topic of sleep, do you like your pillow? (I don’t and am on the prowl for a good one.) Samina’s pillows are on my list. In the meantime, I’m digging Samina’s sleep blog and now know how to reset my Circadian Rhythm.
And, btw, the Samina Sleep System was mentioned on the “Top Health Items Worth Investing In” on the Heal Squad podcast.
In other news… some important info to know about your toliet. (Because isn’t that exactly what you’d expect to read in a lifestyle newsletter?)
And, speaking of bathrooms, last week I told you there’s some remodeling going on at my house. So glad I found an awesome company to do the work. Owner Rebecca Sanbourin (who you’re going to learn about in a future newsletter), has an amazing crew at Surface Design Company. They’re AHEAD of schedule. Yay! Here’s a look at what’s happening…