Are You Living a List or a Life?

It always started at the bottom of the hill about a mile away from our house.

I, with a trunk full of groceries and my son and daughter in the back seat, would become possessed – a mere puppet to the endless swirl of lists in my head.

I’d literally name off everything we were each going to do from the moment we pulled into the garage until the dinner dishes were cleared from the table.

Then we’d take a quick breath before the until-bedtime-list made itself known.

I can remember the day in 2009 when I sat at the kitchen table, in my faded yellow bathrobe, crying as the kids got on the bus.

My life felt like an endless stream of tasks and obligations. The lists had won.

I see it everywhere.

Friends tell me how busy they are – how they have no time.

Colleagues complain about burnout and overwhelm.

Clients come to me with goals they’ve had for years and have yet to take action on.

“Life gets in the way,” they say.

There is a way out. And no, you don’t have to throw in the towel and let everything go to hell in order to find some peace, finally accomplish that big goal, or both.

Just 3 little steps will do it.

Start each day committing to ONE thing you will do – no matter what. (This is something that normally would have gotten bumped off the list. Something that moves you closer to a meaningful goal or just feels joyous.)
Get the list out of your head and onto paper. If you already do this, be sure that your ONE thing is at the top.
For the rest of the day, focus on the MOMENT YOU’RE IN. Whether you’re working on a task, your one thing, or eating lunch with a friend. BE PRESENT.

That’s it.

Do that everyday, and you’ll continue to move your life forward. Only now, life will be the thing you’re living rather than the thing that gets in the way.