Speaker #0Hi, welcome to The Pulse. I hope you're doing well. My name is Julie, I'm your host. And today in this episode, I would like to talk about the to-do list and more specifically about the fact that I wish my to-do list was empty. And what do I mean by that? Actually, more specifically, because a friend told me Well, you want your to-do list to be empty, but on the other side, you have this podcast and many other things. Are you really, really, how to put it? Is it really the case that you want your to-do list empty if you are literally doing an episode on it? Is then part of your to-do list? And I do agree with her that it's a bit a topic where it's a bit unfair to say that I would like my to-do list to be empty, because also I'm very happy to do these episodes. And actually, I have to say even this podcast overall, even though I've had a few comments from some people who said, hey, if you have too much, maybe you should let go of the podcast. That's usually the first thing people tell me to let go of. And I said to them, I love doing this podcast. It's actually very enjoyable for me to speak for a few minutes, sometimes more or less, depending on the episodes. And also I like editing at night. I try to make it not too difficult to edit. So I have to say also that it's, It's potentially not the best editing, but for me, it's important to keep it. So why do I want to bring this topic up? It's more from the context of the fact that we are always so busy these days and we always have things we are expected to improve. And I know my previous episode was also on the Atomic Habit book and therefore also you have to improve your habits. But sometimes we are so busy and our to-do list is so long that it becomes overwhelming. me. And that's where I'm coming from when I say I wish my to-do list was empty. So we're at the end of the year and my to-do list is still very busy and it's going to keep on being busy. And on one end, if it's busy with things that I like, which I appreciate, which I have to do, but it's also for work, it's good. It's okay to have it busy. But if it becomes heavy on topics that is extra, just feel having an extra weight, Sometimes this is something we can potentially remove, but it's also hard to remove some pieces that are mandatory from our plates. So, for example, financials or taking care of taxes or whatever else topics that comes to your mind. So what can we do to alleviate that? And what can I do? I mean, to be fairly transparent, I feel like also my to-do list includes declutter my basement or to... take the trash out or to do so some pieces are more regular stuff some pieces are to go through the 100 light bulbs I have downstairs or even to go through all the old cables I don't need anymore and that sounds a bit like deculturing but there is I promise other topic in term of ensuring that the remote works again for my tv and it's all those things add weights over and over and over again. So. it's important the same way we've been taught and a lot of time I feel in my work I constantly have that message re-insured by management which I also want to ensure that I do the same within my project team it's focus on priorities what are the priorities and you can let go of some pieces and I think this is also valid for your home for your personal life we have a lot and I have a a to-do list with a huge backlog. But what is critical for me? Is cleaning my basement the most critical things right now? No, my home is good. The basement, I can take care of it in a month or two, as long as it's taken care of at some point, but I don't have to do it tomorrow. So I can remove it from my regular to-do list. I can remove it, remove a bit of weight. It's still going to be somewhere. I still always ensure that it's returned. So I'm using Notion and I have my daily to-do's I have my weekly to-do's my monthly to-do's and I have kind of like part topics that I know are still in my head still important for me but they're not the prior right now and I think that helped me alleviate or remove some of the weight on my shoulder of this constant to-do list I mean I'm literally on the other side of the screen I have my terrace that clearly needs proving. But we're in the middle of winter. Does that make sense that I do this now? If anyway, I'm going to have to do it again in two weeks and I'm not using my chair ass anyway because it's winter, it's cold, it gets windy and also it's going to get wet again tomorrow most likely. No. So it's something that yes, my life is not perfect. Yes, my chair ass is not perfect in that case. But I'm okay and I need to feel more comfortable in letting go. That's a bit what I wanted to bring to the picture today because we have so much to do and even more in this period of the end of the year. And potentially the goals that I've talked about in the prior episodes of doing your 2026 goals are adding on your to-do list that is way too busy. And I think we have to be okay to say, hey, you know what, not this month. And even for 2026 goals, who says you have to do them now? You can potentially do them in January or February if you're less busy then. But it's important to ensure there is a moment. where you focus on it so it doesn't become an endless to-dos or like a topic at the bottom of your list that you also take care of yourself. Define your prior the same way we do for work. Define your prior at home. Define your prior for your personal life. There are some topics that I really put in the back burner. I'm not the best at it. So it's still on my mind. It's still not empty. And it would never be. It's a almost bottomless pit in a way, this to-do list. But at least it's... not constantly on my mind because it's written somewhere and I can let it go for at least a little bit and be kind to yourself on that front and I wanted to quickly also touch base because I mentioned the priorities when it comes to work and we are in an environment nowadays where there is a lot of to-dos for the employees a lot of extra work that comes to our plate there is a lot regarding efficiency and sometimes it can be overwhelming when it comes to all the work that we have to do for your day-to-day job. And here again, it's important to define what is a prior and really to rate the activities into the order that makes sense for you and to ensure that you tackle first when it's to be tackled first, which is the most important task of the day, but that you also have the space to let go at the end of the day. Because the smallest task that you do at the end of the day that might feel like it's not finished, that you have some leftover when you leave the office, might make you want to pick up your laptop after work, to be honest, it's a no-go, which will stay on your mind overnight and create potentially stress at home. And I can give more example, and I said the first one is a no-go when it comes to working from home after hours. Of course, if there is something that is urgent, there is nothing you can do. But if there is, If you pass your hours, if you're done for the day, if that task can wait tomorrow, you have to find a way to let it go for the day and to move it to the next day as long as it's done at a certain point in time. And I'm not saying I'm the best. In the past, this was for me a topic which required heavy, heavy mindfulness, heavy work to help me feel better because I was struggle to let go to them better. No way near perfect. I have some topics that I'm not completed at the end of the week and not stay on my mind sometime on the weekend. And I really try to work on feeling less guilty for that. But it's important overall that this constant to-do list, no matter if it's work, no matter if it's personal, that it doesn't become a heavy weight on our shoulders. And I hope this little reminder is, first of all, Helping you feel better that you're not alone in this. I hope I'm not alone. I hope I'm not the only one who has this problem. But I also hope that it's kind of like sparkle, a change for the better for your day-to-day and for your life in that context. Because it can be overwhelming and take over really your life. I've seen it. I have had it at some point. So this is what for me was so important to do it. I think the only time I had nothing on my to-do list when I was done with my chemotherapy and my mom had worked with me through a to-do list in order for me to have really nothing to do by the time I returned to work, just work, just the key task. And that was really a moment that felt so good, but it was so short because I would say three, four weeks later, I had again a lot of to-dos. So it's not a sure thing. It's not something that is ever sustainable to have an empty to-do list. So I would say instead of thinking empty to-do list, think how can I dilute the to-do list through multiple mini to-dos, including one that is more parking or backlog. I hope you like this episode and this little reminder. I'm past the 10 minutes according to my video. So I guess I will have to edit. I wish you a very nice day and talk to you soon. Bye.
