For as long as I can remember, I have been an enthusiastic list-maker. When I was around 8 years old, I had lists of acceptable boys to hang out with, a list of friends in an ascending order of bestness, even a list of themes of my dreams and nightmares scribbled in my dog-eared little notebook, filled with similar lists.
I still cannot imagine getting a work project done without a comprehensive task list that lets me prioritize everything and offers the greatest pleasure for all list fanatics: the feeling (and sound!) of crossing an item off the list once you have done it.
While to-do lists are nifty tools for organizing your thoughts and tasks, sometimes it can feel overwhelming to constantly have to perform, to make lists that demand something of you. Most of us cannot afford to stop working altogether or stop doing chores or taking care of whatever you have to each day, but there is a bit of mercy you can show yourself in the form of the opposite of to-do lists: the stop doing lists.
The stop doing list gives you a mental breather. It reminds you of the important stuff in life and makes you focus on letting go of unhelpful things that unnecessarily complicate your life or make you anxious.
So instead of adding another demand in your day, it actually removes mental, even subconscious obligations. It gives you permission to do less.
I will share my stop doing list below so maybe you will be inspired to make your own. Place it somewhere you will see it at least once a day so you will be reminded of what you can let go of.
Stop doing:
- Taking on more projects than you can possibly complete. Deal with the ones you have now before wasting time daydreaming about new ones.
- Shopping online for things that are not needed. We have enough cute pillowcases.
- Comparing your progress in anything with people you do not know on social media. It never makes you feel better about yourself, so don’t do it.
- Spending too much time worrying about what you should have done differently in the past. Stop wasting your mental resources on something you cannot change.
- Thinking about others’ opinions of you. If someone disapproves of you and your choices; so what? That will not have any real impact on your life.
If you want to have a free printable template for your own stop doing list, click the download button below the image and have fun eliminating causes for stress from your life!
