To do or not to do

Antonyms are equally good.

Each one of us have a role in every age of our life and sadly do not have the time or patience to complete our activities. During childhood and adult life, it is laziness and we tend to postpone the difficult tasks. As a child our parents and teachers used to teach us to make a list of activities one needs to complete before attending the subsequent day classes. Our parents have to literally struggle to complete all the household chores so that children are dispatched to school on time, routine requirements of aged parents are taken care etc. Professionals need to prioritise their work to make the best use of working hours in a day.

In management theory, there are concepts on setting priorities, time management etc where we need to prepare ourselves for the day to day life. Many a time it is suggested to prepare a to do list for routine days and special occasions so that we don’t miss out on things we planned to do. In fact the to do list helps us organise our work, home commitments, bill payments and also reminds about important social events.

Fine, we are talking about to do list and I am sure that most of us must be practising this in different forms. I am not against this practise and I too believe that preparing a to do list and executing it will definitely increase your efficiency of successfully utilising the time available to you. But lets start discussing about Not To Do List. why it is important and how it can make your life a lot more merrier.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Thinking about Not to do list, I got scared. A minimal relook on my life so far, my purchases, my assets, how I spend my time etc. was alarming. What if I had thought about this not to do list earlier. If I plan ten entries on my to do list, I am sure I can write atleast 20 entries or more on my Not to do list. May be a summarised version of a Not to do list can be as follows.

• Frugal purchase. In the present world where there are lots of distractions and advertisements through multiple media, it is indeed quite difficult to control our instincts on spending money by buying things which are not really required. The super malls and hypermarts are all there to lure you to buy many a thing which you really don’t want. If you can workout a frugal life with a clear understanding of what you need and what you want, then my friend, let me tell you that you are smart. So stop buying things which you don’t really need. Material possessions do not really bring you happiness and there are other means to support the needy to achieve what is eternal joy in this world.

• All through my life I remember about my continued addiction in assuming stressful situations and conditions and in turn generating unwanted stress. In fact we forget about the fact that these problems are not real. Also we are worrying about things that will probably never happen. This behaviour kills our day. As somebody said, `Remember today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday’. hence stop brooding over things which are not in your control specifically that causes unwanted stress.

• People are different and they live, perform and behave differently. In this world of make believe, most of them fake their lives. If we start comparing our real life with others around, it is going to be catastrophic. Also p[lease understand today successful people and their lives are manufactured for business interest. Most of the advertisements and markets are meant for business by somebody and one should not fall for these fake stories and also do not try to emulate. You are what you are and be happy with what you have. Stop comparing your real life with fake lives.

• Stop complaining about your work. You do not know how much it is difficult to get employment and you are one among a very small percentage of blessed people in the total population. It is true that organisations and firms tend to reduce the total manpower to save on expenditure. Understand the fact that it is the order of the day. Instead of assuming that the present assignment is impossible, start working on it. You should realise that one step at a time will help you complete the job in the best possible manner and really you can start enjoying it.

• These days there are lots of marketing people compelling you to make financial investments. Remember that any financial decision should be taken with utmost care since it is also a commitment. There are shares, mutual funds, insurance options etc. You should primarily weigh the pros and cons and also your present financial position before committing to any such proposal. Our ego sometimes do not allow us to say no and the marketing people very know about this weakness. Once should learn to say no also. you be the master on your decisions and don’t allow any one to do so.

• Stop spending your prime hours and time in digital distractions. I mean to say that each day is a microcosm of your life with a beautiful start and happy end. So enjoy the day not with your digital buddy but with the people you love, your parents, children and friends. Dont allow social media to take away your prime time.

• Stop following the pack and start leading the field. Leaders are not born but they evolve by observing the world. It is always easy to follow others but it is difficult to be a leader. This requires great observation, patience, understanding and commitment. If you are willing to take the challenge, go for it. The list continues….

You have only this life to live. Your happiness, health, greatness and wealth all depend on how you use your time. So focus more on things you need to do and also consider the ‘Not to do list’. It is a simple life and we are all bestowed with the time and wisdom to live a happy life. However, remember to prepare and follow the `Not to do list’.

Regards

Ajith Kumar K