QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?”
-Henry David Thoreau 

IDEA OF THE DAY 

Autumn and winter suggest slowing down to embrace the shorter days and longer nights with the incentive to get cozy in our favorite fluffy slippers and have a hot chocolate nearby (yum!). However as we shift into the final stretch of the year, more often than not, I find that we as a culture pick up the pace, zooming from one holiday to the next, trying to keep ourselves afloat with all the flurry of activity. In some ways it can be fun, yet in others, it can feel like an overwhelming list of “will never get done”, leading to stress and burnout.

So…if this sounds like a tendency you lean towards, how about we try something a little different this time around?

Let’s make a Not-to-Do list. 

What’s that, Joyna?

A not-to-do list involves taking a step back, looking at habits or busy routines that affect you negatively, and setting the intention to remove them from your life. In a bigger sense, looking at lists from this angle is a mindset shift, helping you to move away from the busy doing of checklists, to the slowing down and being more intentional of how you spend your time. Interestingly, being aware of what you want to do less frees up time for what you do want to do AND permits you to leave some things undone. Having a not-to-do list may pave the way to slowing down, the original intention of the season! Shall we give it a try?

I’ll get us started.

As a maximizer, I often squeeze as much as possible into the time I have. Many times it leaves me feeling depleted and I’d like to no longer do that to myself.  For the remainder of the year, I will take notice before jumping into a flurry of activity and ask myself “How can I simplify this?”.

Let’s go!

 

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What’s the top thing on your not-to-do-list? How will it support you throughout the rest of the year?

Lessons from 13.2 Miles

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Comparison is the thief of joy."– Theodore Roosevelt IDEA OF THE DAY  This past weekend, I ran a half-marathon with my brother and a friend. Well—jogged might be the more accurate term, as I’m by no means a fast runner. But with this being my third...

On Less Control and More Peace

QUOTE OF THE DAY "To build a mindset that allows happiness in, you need to develop the quality of non-reactiveness. Life is generally uncontrollable, and it is not possible to live without challenges, so eventually unwanted things and tough situations will appear."–...

On Being Grounded Despite Uncertainty

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."– Theodore Roosevelt IDEA OF THE DAY  There’s no denying that the world feels heavy right now. With constant changes, unexpected challenges, and an overwhelming stream of information, it’s easy to...

On Today in History

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."– Søren Kierkegaard IDEA OF THE DAY  One of the most incredible things about living in the present is that whenever curiosity strikes, we have a world of information at our...

On a Little Silliness

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment."– Horace IDEA OF THE DAY  Last week, we explored how our critical mind can be labeled as a "Saboteur"—those voices in your head that generate negative...

Let’s go to the (Mind) Gym

QUOTE OF THE DAY "If you’re mentally fit, you can handle life’s great challenges without mental stress or other negative emotions."– Dr. Shirzad Chamine, Author of Positive Intelligence IDEA OF THE DAY  As a coach, I'm always searching for mental tools and...

On Getting Distracted

QUOTE OF THE DAY “The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time."– Mozart IDEA OF THE DAY  As I sit down with a hot cup of tea to draft this newsletter, a few text messages ping on my phone. I answer them and return to writing. Then, my inbox...

On the Middle Path

QUOTE OF THE DAY “The middle path is the way to wisdom."– Rumi IDEA OF THE DAY  Let's talk about change.  Change is a constant in life, often filled with beauty and possibility. Milestone moments like earning a degree, landing a new job, getting engaged, or welcoming...

~On A Little Kindness~

QUOTE OF THE DAY “It is a beautiful experience being with ourselves at a level of complete acceptance. When that begins to happen, when you give up resistance and needing to be perfect, a peace will come over you as you have never known.”– Ruth Fishel IDEA OF THE DAY ...

On the Final Questions of 2024

QUOTE OF THE DAY "A year's end is not just a closing chapter; it's a mirror reflecting your growth and resilience, a reflection of the strength you've found within."  -Unknown IDEA OF THE DAY  As the year comes to a close, some of us may find ourselves holding on to...