People love making To-Do Lists.  We live in a busy world and we have many obligations that must be met. But there must also be balance. 

How do we achieve this?  

In Jack Canfield’s book The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, he talks about creating a Stop Doing List.  The Stop Doing list helps you develop more space and time to do more of what you WANT to do instead of just those things you HAVE to do.

It’s really about boundaries. The Stop Doing List invites you set limits and tell people where you are not willing to spend your time, energy, and resources.   If you draw a line in the sand and just say, “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do that right now,” not only will people still love you but, the irony is, they’ll respect you (and your time) even more.

What would your Stop Doing List look like?

Will you jettison certain activities?
Will you keep a night free just for family?
Will you limit (but not eliminate) your volunteer, coaching, and service obligations?
Will you insist on time for quiet thought and reflection?
Will you look at the kitchen calendar and erase the “urgent,” but unnecessary, so you can create space for the deep and profound?

What can you say no to in order to say yes to a greater life?  

Creating a Stop Doing List leaves more time and space for creating peace, for accomplishing what’s really important, and for exploring your deeper purpose.  TZT