The Glass Half Full

Lately, I've been thinking a lot of being an optimist and restructuring the ways I use words to convey ideas. In examining the way I think, I realized that a lot of my self-chatter was rather negative, particularly regarding myself, and my days were littered with "have to's" and "shoulds." As my stress has mounted over the past few months, my health has declined, and my friends have been urging me to cut through the crap and focus purely on the real "musts" for awhile, pointing out that a great many of my "shoulds" were really "want to's" and could be eliminated without much fanfare.

Seeing the glass half full, it turns out, may yield both mental and physical benefits. Having an optimistic outlook on life can prevent depression, boost your immune system, and improve general health.

So, I've been cutting back on my task list, and focusing on what really needs to be done. I've become more cognizant of my self-talk, stopping myself when I hear something negative and recasting it into something positive. When I think to myself that I "have to" do a task today or I "should" go somewhere, I stop and ask myself if it's really a need or if I just "want to." A lot of my "shoulds" really are turning out to be "coulds."

I just stumbled upon another idea today, and I think it's another good step in recasting the way my brain is working these days. It's a Two-Column To-Do List for the week. On one side, you list the items that you truly must do this week. On the other side, you can list things you’d like to get done. You use the first column to prioritize tasks and then you can feel free to fill in the rest of your time with items you choose from the second column. This simplified to-do list restores a bit of choice and freedom to the week, but ensures the important stuff still gets taken care of.

What do you do to restore sanity to your to-do list and combat the voices in your head that urge you to do more? I'd love to hear your thoughts.