“The best way to predict the future is to create it”
Abraham Lincoln
When a new year begins, we like to think about the great things we’re going to accomplish in the twelve months ahead of us, fresh and new, and Abraham Lincoln’s quote seems to me the perfect guide—there’s plenty of science to show that everything starts with our dreams.
But instead of making yet another list of things that will only add mental load to our busy, sometimes unnecessarily overbooked lives, I propose making a “NOT TO DO” list. It’s the list of things we’ve been carrying for years but that no longer reflect who we are. It’s the list of commitments we renew year after year without thinking whether they still make sense. They’re the things we “have” to do but that just thinking about them drains our energy.
The task is to think in a disciplined way about whether we’re using our time wisely or just filling it with activities. The following three questions can help us: 1) what genuinely sparks my curiosity or passion, 2) what comes naturally to me and I enjoy doing, and 3) what allows me to pay my bills.
When we can do what sits at the intersection of those three questions, we’ll feel more centered and grounded in life. For me, 2018 has been about stripping away almost everything, I’ve gone from 200km/h to 2km/h, so what I want now is to let myself be surprised! What is clear is my commitment to United Way.
The inspiration for this post I owe to Jim Collins, American businessman, author of several best-sellers and of this blog.
Happy 2019!