you are not your to-do list

We always have a to-do list--whether it's on post-its, on your phone, or on your computer. We seem to be a generation of people driven by crossing out tasks. Even personal tasks that are fun and/or fulfilling now need to be inserted in a list before they can get our time and attention. The more items we can tick off in a day, the better. And I think that this is the very problem with the to-do list--it makes us put focus on quantity.

We know that the longer the list, the busier we are; the more we get to tick off, the more productive we are. I think we often fall into the habit of listing things to remind ourselves not just of what we have to do, but to provide us with proof of just how 'good' we've been. That's the trap. The equation seems to be "length of to-do list is directly proportional to my importance as a contributor."

But contribution, or an effective contribution, isn't always about the number of things we do. It's about reaching the right people with the right effort. And sometimes, it's doing the one thing, and doing it with sincere intent and purpose. Getting to the bottom of your list as often as you can expands your abilities, yes, but it might be in a narrow way. Whereas focusing on one or a few key item/s will not only expand your abilities, but your relationships and creativity as well.

So here's a thought: The value of our work (professional and personal) does not depend on the length of our to-do list. Imagine the difference it will make if the goal is not always to get to the bottom of our to-do lists with check marks, but to be able to put a check mark in color :)