Comments on: The Proper Order Of Things http://www.abarefootman.co.uk/archives/2007/03/04/the-proper-order-of-things/ treading lightly on this earth Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:36:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Lewis http://www.abarefootman.co.uk/archives/2007/03/04/the-proper-order-of-things/#comment-2497 Lewis Mon, 05 Mar 2007 12:10:04 +0000 http://www.abarefootman.co.uk/archives/2007/03/04/the-proper-order-of-things/#comment-2497 Aha..! I'm glad it's working well for you, Nick. Certainly there are excellent reasons for creating to-do lists, the can be very simple and effective ways of keeping track of our commitments and tasks, so that we can plan them effectively and be sure we'll remember to do them - thus no longer do we need to think about them all the time. It can be a real opportunity to practice "taking care of the one thing we have in front of us"... doing one thing at a time, until our work is done. And yes, it also allows for tangible proof of our achievements (often we feel we need to have done so much before we allow ourselves a rest or celebration, and so many of the smaller things go unremembered and discounted). I myself have a terrible time with to-do lists. I end up creating huge ones to the point of being overwhelmed.. it never ends, I could go on adding things forever, so I'm instead focusing on living moment to moment and letting things fall where they may. When it comes down to it, very few of the things on the list are of any real importance, it is only my sense of trying to control things that makes it seem that way. What you've described Nick is sensible use of the planning side of our brains - make the plan, then get out of planning mode and into free-flow. I salute you. Aha..! I’m glad it’s working well for you, Nick. Certainly there are excellent reasons for creating to-do lists, the can be very simple and effective ways of keeping track of our commitments and tasks, so that we can plan them effectively and be sure we’ll remember to do them - thus no longer do we need to think about them all the time. It can be a real opportunity to practice “taking care of the one thing we have in front of us”… doing one thing at a time, until our work is done. And yes, it also allows for tangible proof of our achievements (often we feel we need to have done so much before we allow ourselves a rest or celebration, and so many of the smaller things go unremembered and discounted).

I myself have a terrible time with to-do lists. I end up creating huge ones to the point of being overwhelmed.. it never ends, I could go on adding things forever, so I’m instead focusing on living moment to moment and letting things fall where they may. When it comes down to it, very few of the things on the list are of any real importance, it is only my sense of trying to control things that makes it seem that way.

What you’ve described Nick is sensible use of the planning side of our brains - make the plan, then get out of planning mode and into free-flow. I salute you.

]]> By: Nick Murison http://www.abarefootman.co.uk/archives/2007/03/04/the-proper-order-of-things/#comment-2481 Nick Murison Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:37:11 +0000 http://www.abarefootman.co.uk/archives/2007/03/04/the-proper-order-of-things/#comment-2481 I was recently introduced to the concept of list-making as a way to not just organise my day, but to clear my mind of needless worrying. As menial as it sounds, creating a list of things I need to do in a day, and actively crossing the items out as I go along has worked really well for me. It somehow makes all those pesky tasks seem manageable, and it helps me to take proper rests, as opposed to having stressed bouts of procrastination. Rests that I can say I deserve, because I've achieved something, and which I have time for, because I can see how many more things I need to get done. I was recently introduced to the concept of list-making as a way to not just organise my day, but to clear my mind of needless worrying. As menial as it sounds, creating a list of things I need to do in a day, and actively crossing the items out as I go along has worked really well for me.

It somehow makes all those pesky tasks seem manageable, and it helps me to take proper rests, as opposed to having stressed bouts of procrastination. Rests that I can say I deserve, because I’ve achieved something, and which I have time for, because I can see how many more things I need to get done.

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