How many times do you wake up in the morning feeling overwhelmed by your “to-do” list before your feet even hit the floor?  Your mind is already racing through your day when all you want to do is dive back under the covers and let the world know that you’re not “adulting” today.  

It just feels like way too much!

As much as Nike reminds us to “Just Do It,” I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest the exact opposite.  

Instead of creating your next “do-to” list, what about creating your “Stop Doing List” first?  I’m not suggesting calling it quits and binge-watching your latest Netflix obsession (although that does have the fun factor).  Instead, let’s take the time to reflect on what we’re willing to give up.  

By doing that, we also gain time for more meaningful things in our lives.  

I know we live in the land of “crazy busy.”  Sometimes when I hear this expression, I feel that people are wearing it as a badge of honor.  Drives me a little nutty!  Ugh…

The truth is we have to make time for what matters most in our lives.  Sure, that means we can’t do everything (who wants to??), but if you take an honest look at what gets done in the course of your day, I’ll bet you’ll find times when you could have been spending it more effectively.  

The first step in creating a “Stop Doing List” is to give yourself permission to create that list.  Seems simple enough, but if you’re coming from a place of self-judgment, it will be a real struggle for you.  

These choices are about being deliberate in creating a more meaningful life for yourself.  

Here’s a peek into what my list would look like.

I will stop…

• Comparing myself to others.  What a giant time suck!  It really doesn’t matter what others are doing, what they look like, etc.  

• Feeling guilty when I take time for myself.  Taking care of myself allows me to show up for others.  But more importantly (especially to my family), I’m more enjoyable to be around. Aren’t we all?! 

• Stop saying “I’m Fine” when I’m anything but that.  I want to feel all the feels even if it is painful. If I stop viewing my emotions as positive (happy) or negative (sad), I can embrace them all as part of me.

• Giving so much importance to social media.  I want to end the constant checking of my devices as a distraction and be more intentional about how I use social media.

• Judging myself for being human.  It’s way too easy to create impossible standards to live by.

• Saying YES when I really mean NO.

What would be the first thing on your “Stop Doing List?”