New Ways of Operating

I swear by goals lists and to-do-lists and seasonal bucket lists. Not only do lists keep me organized and productive in my professional life, various side hustles and important personal tasks (i.e. going to the dentist, returning library books and renewing my car registration) they also keep me focused on leading the life that I want to live.

Time passes quickly, and if I am not intentional about how I spend my free evening hours, weekends and vacation days, I find that it’s all too easy to fritter them away on mindless distraction (scrolling social media) instead of meaningful activities that will leave me a better version of myself, more connected to family and friends, or, at the least, refreshed from having spent time on activities that bring me true and lasting satisfaction.

But, I’ve decided to do something radical (for type-A me, that is!). I am going to take a break from list-making, or rather, from creating detailed goal and bucket lists (I can’t quite give up the daily to-do lists, nor does that serve an particularly positive end for me right now).

Here are the two big reasons why I’ve decided to make this change:

I am in an unprecedented season of life, with a new baby, going back to school, while maintaining my previous work schedule. Looking at this season, I know that all of my time and energy (mental, emotional, physical) needs to go to my family, school and work if I want to maintain sanity and succeed in these three areas. Adding anything else (even good things) will detract from the three areas that matter most to me, right now.

I think it is important to explicitly acknowledge that we must say no to certain (usually good) things in order to invest our greatest energy into the things that we have determined are the most important to us at a given time. By saying no to creating goals and bucket lists that involve travel, freelancing, learning new skills and more, I am saying yes to a full and enthusiastic dive into the three identified areas of my life.

Additionally, as I look to the year or two ahead, one of my predominant emotions is uncertainty. Given our current public health crisis, who knows what the next two months, let alone the next two years, will bring in terms ability to travel, opportunities to try new things (museums, restaurants, etc.) and chances to partake in cultural and community events. I’ve decided that instead of lamenting the losses or making plans that I know could very well be cancelled, I’m going to embrace these next two years as the “seasons of slow.” Any adventuring that’s going to happen will happen internally, or within my little home world (keeping in mind these words by the author Eudora Welty: “A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within”).

Chances are that I’m going to end these next two years eager to formulate a new series of goals and bucket lists. But for now, I feel excited and eager to make this change. At times of transition and uncertainty, here’s to trying a new way of operating within the world!