Having a Don’t-Do List
The last time I
went home for Christmas, I was pretty focussed. In attempts to further breaching
out of my depression, I decided to prioritize adding fun and beauty to my life
instead of perceiving pomp and circumstance, traditions, and celebration as a
huge waste of time. I came to terms that spending my life only working not only
sucked inspiration out of me, but also contributed to my lack of happiness.
Sometimes the stupid, shallow things are really important for embracing life.
For 2017 New
Year’s resolutions, I had decided to celebrate every holiday, and I would start
with Christmas 2016. So I went home, forced my family to get a tree, nixed the
idea of no presents, made gingerbread, and forced fed the holiday spirit to my
equally perfunctory lifestyled parents.
I also got a lot
done on my giant “lifetime” to-do list. I did more in a week than I had done in
previous months. I was feeling good about myself, productive, and mobile.
But then I got
home to my apartment in New York City. I fell behind in the parts of my
deadlines I didn’t prep for. I didn’t write. I spent a great deal of time back
in my old habits of sitting on Facebook and feeling shitty about it. What had
changed?
My to-do list.
Prior to
Christmas, I rode into Boston with my cousin to help make some extra cash
through paralegal work. I could only bring a set number of projects with me, so
I prioritized. I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked, but I spent a
good deal of it socializing and did enjoy myself. I wasn't as good with time
management as I had been in past years, but still better than I’d been
recently.
When I flew out
to Wyoming for the holiday, the projects that I could bring cut my options down
even more. While I could throw a quilt and sewing machine, a violin, untyped
note pages, and a printed manuscript into the back of a car, I was limited to
what could fit into my backpack. I ended up having my computer and a book.
Because I was
limited to working on a comic or writing, I found it easier to start the day,
not feeling overwhelmed with options. I knew what I had to do and couldn't
waste time debating or switching back and forth between projects. Even this
morning, as I get up, there are so many choices of what I’d like to get done,
it makes it easy to blow them all off. I could read. I could write. I could
edit. I could draw. I need to get my newsletter out. I need to get started on
next month’s Story of the Wyrd. I need to design the
next giveaway. I could do next week’s comic,
or work on getting ahead on it as I had been telling myself I would. I could
sew the button on my coat sleeve. I could paint. I need to get through more of
my material.
Then there are,
of course, the shoulds. During the first few months of the year, I was
unemployed in my new city. Job hunting is painful, emotionally exhausting, a
constant stressor that can suck motivation to do anything. Even when you are
working diligently, you should be putting yourself out there.
Your savings won’t last forever. Even after getting a job, I wasn’t making
bank, and I know that if I really want money, I should be building a portfolio
for my quilts. If I could be savvy and aggressive about it, I could probably
find a market for them and earn something on the side. But it’s time consuming
and I hate promoting myself. I also feel like I need to get several quilts
ahead to really draws people’s interest, even on commission work.
This is why I
came up with the idea, The Don’t-Do List. That’s something that needs to be
done, but it doesn’t need to be done today. If you choose not to
worry about it, you’re not allowed to even think about it. Cut down on your
demands on yourself and you’re more likely to be motivated to do something
important.
Other options
for increasing productivity is to organize a list in order of priority—which
has the closest deadline? In order of longevity—which is something I’ve been
wanting to do for the longest? Or in order of duration—what can I get done
quickly? What will take me several days, weeks, or months of trying.
Mostly, it’s a
combination of all three.
Today, I think,
I’m going to restart my time management skills (something I’m usually good at)
by taking a moment to make several lists and organize my thoughts. It can feel
like a waste of time, but it’s better than being on Facebook at least.
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