What's On Your List?

Are you someone who lives according to the lists you create? This is understandable because of tasks, responsibilities and the “I-don’t-want-to-forget-to's” that tend to fill our days.

Grocery lists, chores lists, bucket lists, lists for our lists, can be helpful tools.

Or perhaps you have forgone lists, but read on, because there is a list you may want to explore—one that will make you feel really good.

Lists tend to be future-focused, yet living in the present is what you are urged to do. How do you reconcile this?

The simple answer is to tap into your peaceful, present self and jot down what you are being called to do in the next day, week, month or beyond that enhances your life and keeps you in its flow.

Then, when you arrive at each item on your checklist, you can reaffirm if it still feels necessary to do, or if something else would be a better use of your time in that moment.

Or as some thought leaders suggest, live so fully in the present that you choose what action to take moment-by-moment.

Like clear water dancing along a sparkling stream you can live in the flow of your life whether you choose to make lists or not.

And if you’re up for creating a different kind of list, how about this one? Create a list of all of the things you’ve done well in your life.

Instead of a “To-Do” list, this one can be your “Did-Well” list. Take a moment to think way back and begin remembering experiences, choices, actions that turned out really, really well for you--

ones that you chose.

You may be pleasantly surprised by what you uncover.

On a tender-weather late afternoon, sitting by the Mississippi River, a woman created her Did-Well list and began recalling all of the times she had intuitively done things that made her life better.

She was filled with joy—and a sense of confidence. As birds flew overhead and tree leaves gently tussled, the woman felt like patting herself on the back and giving herself a hug!

The act of bringing to mind (and heart) wise choices made is a great exercise for anyone to do, yet it is particularly helpful to women because women may tend to doubt themselves in some pretty big ways.

So yes, you can keep creating your grocery-shopping and tasks-of-all-kinds lists if they bring a sense of order and peace to your life.

And if you are so inspired, take some quiet time and write out your Did-Well list. You may love how you feel when you do.