My ‘To Do’ List Needs Pruning

Like anyone who takes the time to read this, or more likely, those who don’t even have enough time to read this, my ‘To Do’ List needs pruning!!!  One might think that it is the extra demands of the holiday season that put us over the top with commitments but I think the problem runs deeper.

As I tried to determine how I would etch out the time to write my early December blog, I came face to face with one of the contributors.  But before I get to that, some context might be helpful. I have long had a habit of working my way up to a big task – in this case, writing a blog post. What this means operationally is that all smaller tasks must be out of the way so as not to distract. For me this includes making sure that the desk and the email in-basket are clear, all papers and emails filed, all little projects finished and tucked away, and last but not least all of my “dailies” (aka, daily duties) completed.  If the big task needing to be done is extremely important or complicated than the list of smaller tasks grows exponentially; elongating the lead time to the project and depending on its importance, increasing the stress experienced until it is completed – stomping on my equanimity and tranquility in the process.

This week’s schedule was stretched to breaking with the addition of out of town guests, heating system repairs and an out of town wedding. All that seemed to go smoothly while the blank screen waited patiently for me to direct my attention to the blog post. Forever a multi-tasker, I began writing it long hand on the drive to the New Jersey wedding but my navigating and driving responsibilities pre-empted completion. As I prepared to finish it here – again after completing my “dailies” and all the “smaller tasks” – the proverbially light bulb went off.  My ‘To Do’ list needs pruning!

I asked myself today “how much of what fills my ‘to do’ list gives me joy? Which of the many tasks that need to be done provide me with a sense of peace? Does the size of the list or the burden of its completion eat away at my serenity? Does negotiating with other family members to carry some weight for finishing tasks on the list rob us of harmony? Why does trivia so often trump significance?

I chuckle as P.F. Ducker brilliantly chides “there is nothing so useless as efficiently doing that which should not be done at all.” I was reminded of that today and of the irony of how tending to the less important robs us of the time, energy and interest in more important and more meaningful matters – joy, inner peace, serenity, harmony for me and for whatever provides you with meaning, purpose and satisfaction.

I was reminded today that my ‘To Do’ list needs pruning if I am to retain the quietude and balance that I hold so dear.

What about your ‘To Do’ list? Does it need pruning?  What is robbing you of the time you need to fill your days with joy? Day to day responsibilities are unavoidable for sure. In his bestseller After the Ecstasy, the Laundry Jack Kornfield reminds us that even after one achieves realization the tasks of daily living compete with this long sought freedom and oneness with the divine. But whether you are seeking enlightenment or will be happy to settle into a reasonably paced routine of daily living, the challenge remains.

If time is always short and priorities are often tilted away from your heart’s desire than it may be time for you to recognize that your ‘To Do’ list needs pruning. What better time to tackle this as family, friends and work commitments mushroom during the holiday season? What better time to decide to prioritize what gives you joy than the season of giving and joy?  What better time to rid your life of the unnecessary, eliminate the unimportant, purge the inconsequential and evict the trivial !!!

Hopefully when you are done pruning your ‘To Do’ list you will be left with more time to revel in what delights. . .