{"id":17036,"date":"2018-08-24T09:35:24","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T16:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/?p=17036"},"modified":"2018-08-24T09:36:33","modified_gmt":"2018-08-24T16:36:33","slug":"the-resistance-to-to-do-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gettingthingsdone.com\/2018\/08\/the-resistance-to-to-do-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"The Resistance to To-Do Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h2>\n

The main reason people resist to-do lists\"David<\/h2>\n

I understand the resistance to to-do lists, and the complaints about keeping them. I\u2019ve noticed a couple of reasons for this.\u00a0The main one is that most to-do lists are incomplete lists of still un-clarified \u201cstuff.\u201d Looking at them creates as much stress as they might have relieved in the first place. Typically what people have on their lists (if they have them at all) are things like \u201cMom,\u201d and \u201cbank,\u201d and \u201cmarketing VP.\u201d It\u2019s great that they have captured something that has their attention, but there are still critical decisions to make with some critical thinking about that content. Why \u201cMom?\u201d Well, her birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. What are you going to do about Mom\u2019s birthday? Well, I\u2019m not sure yet. So, looking at \u201cMom\u201d on a list reminds you of thinking and decision-making you haven\u2019t done yet. And, at the moment, you don\u2019t have the energy or mental bandwidth to think or make that decision. So, some part of you says, \u201cStop reminding me that I\u2019m overwhelmed!\u201d<\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s not to-do lists per se that are uncomfortable\u2014it\u2019s just that the content of them is still unclear. If you have determined a specific next action about \u201cMom,\u201d such as \u201cCall sister\u201d to get her input on how to celebrate mom\u2019s birthday, that item on a \u201cCalls\u201d list will be a lot more attractive and easy to engage with. I doubt anyone would say that a grocery list is a bad thing when you go to the market to shop for Mom\u2019s birthday dinner, no matter how big the list.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If your list are incomplete, you’ll resist them<\/h2>\n

A second reason there may be a resistance to to-do lists is that they are often incomplete, so you really won\u2019t trust either your lists or your brain to give you the full story. There are things on your lists, but there are still many things in your head you\u2019re trying to track and be reminded about. (And your head is a terrible office!) So, you don\u2019t trust that the contents of your \u201cexternal brain\u201d have really captured it all, and then you can\u2019t trust either your system or your head. This is a major source of mental fatigue and stress for most people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, what are your options?<\/h2>\n

So, what are your options? Simply put, keep track of all your commitments out of your head, on lists, or none of them! I would be fascinated if someone could intellectually justify halfway in-between. Either your head is the place to hold your reminders, or it isn\u2019t. (You can guess my answer.) I find it somewhat amusing that people in our courses get upset with us because of the size of their lists. Look\u2014those are their lists, not ours!<\/p>\n

And the problem with having any reminders of commitments you\u2019ve made kept in your head, is that the place that holds them in your psyche seems to have no sense of past or future. They are all \u201cDo now!\u201d messages in that place. So you\u2019ll be awakened at 3am with the thought about Mom\u2019s birthday, when you can\u2019t do anything about it. Stress.<\/p>\n

That said, if you already have, can, or would like to simplify your life such that you keep track of nothing in an external system, and you simply follow your internal hunches and inclinations, with the appropriate things showing up spontaneously for you to focus on, in the moment\u2014yay! I love doing nothing, planning nothing, and doing what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it. But I still need to keep track of the things I need to do, to justify the money I\u2019m asking my clients to pay me for what I may be doing for them. That requires that I keep track of appointments, phone numbers, projects to complete, and actions I need to take, to produce the value I\u2019m asked to be producing for them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Solution<\/h2>\n

Gravitating away from to-do lists? Either keep them or don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u2013David Allen<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This essay appeared in David Allen\u2019s Productive Living Newsletter.\u00a0Subscribe for free here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The main reason people resist to-do lists I understand the resistance to to-do lists, and the complaints about keeping them. I\u2019ve noticed a couple of reasons for this.\u00a0The main one is that most to-do lists are incomplete lists of still un-clarified \u201cstuff.\u201d Looking at them creates as much stress as they might have relieved in … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Resistance to To-Do Lists”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,736,1,716,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-david-allen","category-educational-tools","category-featured","category-free-resources","category-productivity-tips","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Resistance to To-Do Lists - Getting Things Done\u00ae<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do your to-do lists repel you? There are usually some simple reasons for that. 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