Sometimes, no amount of tools, tricks, habits or systems are enough to get us and keep us sane and organized. When that’s the case, the issue may be with all the things we think we should do.
Things that we think we should do–or that we have to do–come from other people: bosses, spouses, kids, parents, clients, etc. It seems that they constantly have something they need from us. They may ask, demand, or say we should. But we are the ones who unthinkingly turn their requests into our burdens. And we can change that.
The key is to remember that you are the sole authority on what you will do, won’t do, and when, if ever, you will do something. Choose what you do at any moment. When you feel burdened, ask yourself, “What do I want? And what outcomes am I committed to for this other person? What do I choose to do now?”
Choosing changes burdens into purpose. When you see everything you do as a choice you’ve made, you are free. Then you can choose to become even more effective with whatever tools, tricks, habits or systems make sense for you.
In your corner,
Mike
PS: We are never as trapped as we think. We can choose now. We can consciously re-choose anything we may have unwittingly accepted as a “should.” And we can renegotiate any choice or commitment that we want to change to accommodate life as it happens.
Today’s photo credit: kevin dooley via photopin cc