Your To-Do List Isn't Your Scorecard

The list never ends. It never truly gets smaller. Sometimes you add an item to the list just so you can cross it off. The day ends with you saying “I didn’t do anything on my list today but somehow I was busy all day long.” The list you created has become the litmus test for whether a day was “successful” or not. Sound familiar?

Whether the list is in your head or on paper, it is normal to feel overwhelmed by a list that is never-ending. The demands keep piling up and you feel like you can never get ahead. There is no relief in sight.

For many, the list has stopped being a management tool and has become a measure of worth. Without realizing it, people-oriented leaders can develop the subconscious belief that if you aren’t constantly doing, you’re failing the team and people you care about most.

When the list becomes the scorecard you outsource your control to a tool that doesn’t understand priorities, impact or influence.

What if you looked at the to-do list that never ends neutrally? Neither good or bad, it just is. What if the list became simply a tool to help you remember, not a scorecard indicating your value?

A while back I read the book “It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Take Control of Your Life” by Trevor Moawad. It is a fantastic book about the power of mindset and making the shift to see things neutrally, rather than saturated with meaning. This isn’t “positive thinking” or trying to make the best of things, it is removing what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future and seeing the present as it actually is. It challenged me to identify areas of life where I was assigning value when really the thing simply was what it was. I began to suspend judgment.

I applied this thinking to my to-do lists and found immense relief. The list is what it is: a tool that helps me keep track of things so I don’t use mental energy trying to remember tasks. I live a full life, which means I am frequently adding items to my list personally and professionally. I am not at the effect of the list. I can choose to complete items on the list, cross them off, throw the list away, or start a fresh page. I can even choose to add to the list for the thrill of crossing something off. But the relief has come from no longer allowing the list to impact my mindset, identity or worth. And, most importantly, not letting the list replace real human connection and strategic decision-making. 

When the list becomes the scorecard you outsource your control to a tool that doesn’t understand priorities, impact or influence. If the focus remains on the quantity of items to do, you start to lead by making choices that bring relief to the list. This means we can lose sight of strategy, people and purpose. The length of your list is not a sign of your value, capability or commitment to the mission.

How would this shift to neutral thinking impact your approach? Your ability to prioritize strategically and lead with presence and clarity? 

If you want to move out of the constant overwhelm and reclaim strategic clarity, I’m here for you. Schedule a confidential discovery call to build a more focused, sustainable approach to your leadership.