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With an ever growing to-do list it’s hard to know what to take care of first. We suggest you prioritize the want-to-do list for the sake of a happier life.

Every person has a to-do list and it’s made up of 2 sublists: the must-do list and the want-to-do list. No matter how hard you try, these lists are never “finished.” As soon as one thing is checked off, 4 more come to replace it. The lists can grow to be so out of control that it’s paralyzing. It’s almost easier to not touch it at all than to try to start whittling away at it. Unfortunately, this is not a solution for a fulfilling or happy life. The good news is, we’re here to help you with both.

Let’s start with the must-do list. These are things that are necessary for just keeping up with life. It’s the list of boring, tedious things like doing laundry, making a hair appointment, or ordering new printer cartridges. For many of these items, if you don’t take care of them you’re going to be extremely stressed out. If you don’t tackle your laundry, you’re going to either have nothing to wear or you’re going to smell and look like a mess. If you don’t handle your errands, you’ll panic when you need that thing you were supposed to get but you still don’t have.

Not tending to the must-do list can be debilitating. It has the effect of making you feel like you’re not making progress in your life – like you’re constantly swimming against the current without any hope of relief. This stress can be frustrating and literally harmful to your health. You can lose sleep, break out, start arguing with someone you love or even have a heart attack. Take at look at the infographic here. Stress is no joke.

Because so many of us leave our must-do list to just grow uncontrollably, our want-to-do list suffers with it. I’m going to go throw this out there, the want-to-do list is more important than the must-do list. This list is also always growing but it’s more fun to build. This is the list that’s made up of all the adventures you plan to take like learning how to kite surf or trying that Tunisian restaurant down the street. This list is what makes your life meaningful.

[Tweet “I’m going to go throw this out there, the want-to-do list is more important than the must-do list.”]

If you make your life about only knocking off “obligations” you will eventually hit a point where you feel flat and disappointed with what you’ve accomplished. But if you prioritize your want-to-dos, you’ll feel fulfilled, satisfied and in control. This list is usually put off until the must-do list is taken care of, as if want-to-dos are some sort of prize. This line of thinking has to shift. The want-to-do list is filled with the real obligations, the must-do list is just the bare minimum.

When I get a new concierge client, there’s usually an offloading of obligations. The list has grown so far out of proportion that it feels unmanageable. It’s filled with all sorts of very mundane tasks that no one could find fulfilling. It’s so large, in fact, that they’ve usually forgotten that they have a want-to-do list as well. It’s easy to think that if the must-dos gets taken care of, life will get better. This is a fallacy. Life gets better when the want-to-do list is given more weight. Checking something off the must-do list does not feel anywhere as satisfying as checking something off the want-to-do list. I assure you, you will forget that time you returned that dress but you won’t forget the weekend trip to the sand dunes with your dog.

If you feel your lists are out of your control and it’s just too much to handle, let us help. Pursuit Concierge doesn’t only help you tackle the boring stuff, we also make sure that you’re putting more emphasis on filling your life with the things you think will make you happier.

So, what’s the next thing you’re going to check off your to-do list?

 

 

Infographic via Specificare. Image via PixaBay.

 

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Sondra (she/her)

Founder + CEO

Lover of cats, breakfast, and the ocean. Dreams of sailing the world.
Self-care go-to is sleeping.