“A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away” (Ecclesiastes 3:6)
We are a couple weeks into the New Year. Did you catch our last blog about setting a “vision” for 2019? If so, how has that been going for you? If not, give yourself 15-20 minutes to sit, rest, and choose a vision to guide you through this next year!
If you’re like me, you have an ongoing “to-do” list that gets slashed through or checked off as tasks get (slowly) completed at home and/or at work. This is a good thing! They keep us focused and organized, and hep us to prioritize the things we need to accomplish. Sometimes I feel like my list has saved my life after totally spacing an email that I needed to send, or a training I needed to finish. Other times, I have felt like my “to-do’s” have run my life completely.
But, have you ever created a “to-don’t” list?
“To-Don’t?”
“In her workshops for women leaders, Sally defines being intentional as knowing what to embrace and what to let go of as you move to a higher level. The embrace is the to-do list. The let go of is the to-don’t list. Balancing them requires you to give conscious attention to how you manage responsibilities, relationships, and behaviors so you can decide what really matters and what does not” (From How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith.)
So, what do you want to “let go” in 2019?
Here are some ideas:
In the New Year, I will let go of…
-immediately saying yes or no to requests so I can take time to think about what works for me
-participating in gossip
-going to bed at midnight
-buying lottery tickets
-complaining as a way to connecting with someone
-going on social media in bed before I fall asleep
We’ve created a simple printable graphic for you to use to keep these “to-don’ts” in sight! Take some time to fill this out and tape it to your bathroom mirror, carry it in your purse, fold it and keep it in your wallet, tack it to the cork board at work, make copies and put them in the break room, sit down with your kids and talk about this at dinner, bring this to your life-group at church.
Feeling purposed and accomplished is not all about adding things to accomplish, it is also about learning when to surrender things that aren’t serving you anymore. When you follow through with your “to-don’ts” you will experience a feeling of victory and confidence.
