Written by: Serene Shereef, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We all love that rush of dopamine every time we cross something off our to-do list. So we keep adding to our to-do list to amplify this feeling. And create our own prison of overwhelm and feeling stuck.
What would life be like if we could just move beyond the to-do list and explore what it means to listen to ourselves, trust what our hearts and our mind are telling us, and just go out there and do the things that we want to do?
"Every day’s to-do list:
Listen
Trust
Do"
‒ A.D. Posey
Could it be that simple? The to-do list started its evolution as a way to capture the tasks and other details and organize them without overwhelming. The goal of a to-do list is to create clarity on what you want to do and to actually get these things done. But if your to-do list is going to end up being more stressful and create overwhelm, then it's time to ditch your to-do list.
I have 3 key strategies to help you ditch your to-do list and create your to-be list:
Step 1. Collect the data
Do a brain dump, get everything onto a storage space [paper & pen, apps, doc, etc].
Research shows that our short-term memory can only hold 5-9 items, and as the number increases, it creates overwhelm.
Options for storing data include journals, planners, variety of electronic options including Asana, note-taking apps, Excel, and Evernote. Word document, etc.
Step 2. Connect To Your Values & Vision to Create Clarity
Prioritize your list.
Create a weekly list of focus [1-3 focus items per week depending on how big they are]. Once you have spent time analyzing and organizing, then commit to your plan.
Create deadlines that align with the time & resources available, as well as the urgency of the task.
Revise your list as needed and eliminate any items that are not crucial and connected to your values.
Step 3. Create Your Weekly MAPS [Mindfulness & Productivity Systems] Plan
Create your intentional week with a focused plan for your Future Self this is the way to set yourself up for success!
Be specific and actionable when you add tasks to your calendar.
MAPS Weekly Plan.
Connecting to gratitude and celebrating the wins for the past week.
Exercise self-love and compassion for the challenges and obstacles over the past week.
Create your intention and pick your focus items for the week.
Once this is done, then rinse and repeat every week to intentionally build your everyday routine so that your goals and life vision are inevitable.
Create your intentional week from a space of gratitude, from a space of love and compassion for the obstacles and challenges that invariably comes up, and create areas of focus, setting yourself up for success.
What would your intentional week look like?
How would it feel when you are living your core values and vision every day in a way that creates meaning and purpose that is naturally infused into your everyday routine.
Connect with me via social media [as below] and my podcast [Mindfulness and Productivity Systems podcast on iTunes] to continue exploring what it means to create the blueprint for your dream life.
If you are ready to take it even deeper and really apply this to your life, if you're tired of being stuck in the same place every day, having the same problems, not understanding or not knowing how to create that change, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me. So we can explore what this means to your unique set of needs. If you're ready to take your life to the next level, then I invite you to explore this because the truth is nothing changes if nothing changes!
Serene Shereef, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Serene Shereef is a general & trauma surgeon and a mindfulness & productivity certified life coach. After struggling with severe burnout and hitting rock bottom, she used the energy of mindfulness with the scientific principles of habit building and created systems of productivity to reclaim her life. She now uses this unique powerful framework to help other professional women struggling with burnout and overwhelm to take control of their time, mind & energy. She has created an integrated mindfulness and productivity program that builds clarity on your life’s passion and purpose and uses individualized systematic tools to take control of your life so that you have time for everything that is important to you. Her goal is to help you do less and live more, embracing the joy of living your best life.
