Do you get overwhelmed by long to-do lists you compile in the morning? Do you feel like it 
is never enough, and each day you just need to do more and more?
Do you feel like with the start of the new day the bar has just been raised higher and your achievements of yesterday almost do not count.
Or do you even pause to recognise your achievements and congratulate yourself?
I used to get VERY overwhelmed by my to-do lists. And I got panic attacks from the feeling that it is never enough. I would wonder what was the purpose of all this and from time to time simply break down and do nothing for several days feeling low or even depressed.
That was not doing any good to my productivity at work, neither to my well-being in general.
5 years down the road and I have a very different relationship with my to-do lists.
I am loving each one I make. And this is because I know that at the end of the day I get to make a “ta-dah!” list. This is where I list all the accomplishments of the day. I put down on paper things from my to-do list that I have completed.
I also list the ways I took care of myself, a difficult situation that I handled peacefully, or something that I got clear about and now know how to proceed forward.
And this is where lies one of the keys to success. Celebrating our accomplishments, big or little, inspires us to keep moving!
If you want to 1) establish a new peaceful and loving relationship with your to-do list, 2) move away from the feeling of overwhelm and “never-enough”, and 3) unblock your way to success, I would suggest the following.
Every evening before going to bed, take few minutes to celebrate yourself by turning your to-do list into a “ta-dah!” list.
1. Write down the accomplishments from your daily to-do list.
2. Congratulate yourself for each achievement, big or little.
3. Add other items. If you made a request rather than complain, write it down. If you handled a difficult situation peacefully, put it on the list. If you had a difficult conversation and did not get triggered, get it on the list. Write down how you took care of yourself (a session in a swimming pool, or sauna, or massage, or jogging, healthy meals, 8h sleep, 15 min walk in the afternoon etc).
4. BONUS. Continue to write this list my putting down at least 5 gratitudes for the day. These are the little blessings of the day, which are often taken for granted. A nice cup of tea someone made for you. A stranger that helped you get on the bus with all your bags/prams/shopping. A peaceful couple of hours that you got to focus on your work. A delicious dinner that you got to share with your friends or enjoyed with your family.
The point about the gratitues is the more you write them down the more you attract them to you! (I write five gratitudes every evening before going to bed, and I am overflown by the good things that are coming my way ;-))
By creating such “ta-dah!” list and complementing it with a gratitude list you will soon start noticing how the feeling of overwhelm looses its grip on you and you start feeling more complete, peaceful and on purpose.
Cheers to your success! 🙂
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