Is Your To Do List Sabotaging You?
Photo Wendy Yalom
You know you have anxiety and you know where it comes from…so what comes next?
So far, we’ve learned two important things to know on the journey to cultivating a sense of inner peace:
Anxiety is a state of mind created by uncertainty, that then puts us into fight or flight.
Getting grounded helps keep us calm when riding the waves of anxiety.
I go into all of this in great detail in my new course Find Your Calm, but I’d like to offer you a third insight now: how to stay ahead of anxiety.
Staying ahead of anxiety requires self-awareness and a willingness to be honest with ourselves about how we might be creating an environment for anxiety to flourish in.
For example, let’s talk about to-do lists.
Oftentimes, our to-do lists are a reflection of our ambition, not our ability or interest.
It points to our perfectionism, which is attached to the belief system that if we are not good enough as we are, or that we have to do a bunch of things we don’t want to do in order to get to where we want to be.
It’s wonderful that we are highly ambitious and that we want what we do to be as good as it can possibly be.
But when we create unrealistic expectations for ourselves, we stall ourselves out and end up with anxiety.
So here’s a way to stay ahead of it:
It’s vital to constantly be reviewing and auditing our to-do lists.
It’s important to note what we have done, and what we did not do.
And then ask:
Why did this not get done?
Did it not get done because you didn’t have time?
Because you didn't have the support you needed?
Because you were told you had to do it?
Because it’s simply not important to you?
It’s important to get clear on this, and then realize how common it is to pile on the action items and continue to carry them forward even though we actually have no intention of executing it.
And by continuing to carry these things forward, even though we know we aren’t going to do them, we start to feel guilty.
And that guilt triggers anxiety.
Anxiety because there’s something looming over us.
And anxiety because that *something* is out of alignment with what we really want.
So I am giving you permission today:
Remove those items from your to do list.
Delegate, delete or redirect.
And then replace them with things you know you will do, and things you enjoy doing.
Find Your Calm by connecting with what is important to you and creating a list that actually supports you, instead of sabotages you.
Managing your anxiety is the most powerful tool to shift your life from good to great.
But you have to show up for it.
Learn more practical tools that will help you break the loop of anxiety by joining me in Find Your Calm.
I offer you ALL of the wisdom I’ve acquired over the years, the tools I use and teach to shift the experience, and personal anecdotes that remind you that you’re not alone.
And as a special bonus, you will receive #SHIFTING with Kirtan Kriya ($339 value) for free when you enroll in Find Your Calm.
#SHIFTING with Kirtan Kriya is the perfect complement to Find Your Calm, and it will take you on a journey of tapping into your divine wisdom to shift into the life of your dreams.