To get it done, let it go

First of all, I love lists. I could make a list about how much I love lists - that’s how much I love making lists! There is something gratifying about writing everything down and looking at it in my handwriting. Or, for some people, it feels good to write things down, and transfer them endlessly onto other lists. And that, of course, is funny because it’s true.

Even when I’m teaching or mentoring, I often defer to list-making because it helps sort out thoughts and priorities. There is really no better way of seeing “everything” than seeing it in some kind of sequential order and then reorganizing it or leaving it as it is.

There is one list that I am cautious about making, though. And that is the immensely popular - and often misused - To Do List. People absolutely LOVE this list! This list usually gets written at night before bed, or first thing in the morning. It has anywhere between five and twenty-five things on it (I speak perhaps in jest, perhaps not), and allows people to see all the stuff they have to do.

Is this good? Maybe for some people.

What if it’s not, though? I mean, what if it’s not good for anyone, actually?

And more importantly, what the heck do we do if we’re not writing down the stuff that we have to do? How will we remember it all? HOW WILL IT ALL GET DONE?

I have an idea.

Just let it happen.

That seems weird, right? Let me explain.

I have dry cleaning that is ready to be picked up at the dry cleaners. I even got a text message yesterday morning letting me know that it’s ready. That could very easily go on my list, “Pick up dry cleaning.” The thing is that I know I have to pick it up. Knowing that it’s ready means it’s already stored in my memory, and because it’s stored in my memory, when I drive past the dry cleaners on my way home (because it’s right on my street), my memory will activate and send me the message to stop in and pick up my dry cleaning.

I guess what I’m wanting to say here is that I trust my memory.

Isn’t that crazy? I actually trust my memory to remind me of the things that I would like to get done or that need to get done. And that is possible because I have trained my memory by not writing down every single thing I have to do.

Now, at first I forgot stuff. I would say, “Oh, I totally forgot to do that!” But once I got past the threshold of forgetting little things, I began to believe more and more that my memory would pull through for me and remind me to do the things I needed to do. And it has.

It’s kind of like learning how to ride a bicycle. (Isn’t everything, really?) In order for me to trust my balance, I had to be willing to fall. In order for me to trust myself to remember, I had to be willing to forget.

Everything will get done. It always does.

And all you have to do is let it.