Inspiration this Week: The Overwhelming To-Do Lists

The following post is one of my favorites that floats around social media. I've pasted the post below:

Theme This Week: Letting Go of The Rules

We've all been in this place the woman detailed above, and I'm sure we've talked about it in session if you're a client of mine. And I go into encouraging a more critical look at our to-do lists. How can you break it down to more accomplish-able and easy tasks? How can you prioritize it? How do you reward yourself?

The most important thing we can do when looking at the tasks in front of us, especially those paralyzing us or causing us great stress, is identify and let go of the arbitrary rules we have set out. You really don't need to fold your boxers because no one other than your partner is going to see them! But I bet you do. 

For you naysayers who want to argue this concept, pay attention to what she says at the end- she eventually went back to the way she likes things to be. So we're not disregarding these rules completely. We are just giving ourselves the space to get moving and find some traction. And we'll get back on our feet and keep going. But again, we need to be kind to ourselves when riding the struggle bus and set aside the rules for a minute!

On a good day, if I want to do our weekly grocery shopping, it's a 2-4hr process. That's because it includes meal planning for the week first, finding what ingredients we already have in house and what needs to be used or thrown out, and finding at least one new and healthy inspired meal on Pinterest. Then I add the grocery list items on the fridge to a Google Keep list, along with ingredients I've looked up and screenshotted with Pinterest, and anything else my partner suggests. Then I finally move on to ordering groceries, clearing the fridge, and putting new stuff away.

On a struggle bus day, I go to the local grocery store, with no list, grab some tried and true recipe ingredients and probably some impulse items, and come home and pop in that frozen pizza I just grabbed. It takes 45 minutes. 

Both days we still have food for the week. One just went without rules so I could give myself a pat on the back that I accomplished something and find the strength to keep going.

Challenge This Week: Find and Arbitrary Rule and BREAK IT!

So what is the rule for you....fold the boxers? No running dishwasher twice? Grab quick meal ideas? Take a look at your to-list and break down each task and ask yourself if it has any arbitrary rules attached to those tasks making them take longer. Then go ahead and break the rule! Soon you will find yourself knocking through your overwhelming to-do list much more efficiently and feeling proud. And when you're feeling a little more energetic and motivated, feel free to go back to those rules! Or don't, and maybe find more freedom to add in the next best self-care and fulfilling thing ;)