A few years ago, I had a wake-up call that put my life on hold — my appendix burst! I was in the hospital for nine days and home from work for six weeks.
During that time, I realized that there were some things that I didn’t want to put back on my to-do list after I recovered.
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That experience made me rethink my priorities. As I mention in my book, Listful Living: A List Making Journey to a Less Stressed You, slowing down is prioritizing on steroids.
Everything was taken off my to-do list. The only thing I could concentrate on was getting better.
Afterwards I was extremely mindful and intentional about what I allowed back into my life.
The whole world is going through a period where lots of people’s lives have been radically changed, and they’re starting to go through the same process that I did.
Now that everything is on pause, this is a time to take a look around and ask yourself what you want to keep out of your life (or keep in it) after things go back to normal.
You can start by noticing how you’re feeling right now.
Are there new routines you’ve developed that help you feel grounded?
Are there habits you’re more aware of that you want to cut out?
What have you learned about your productivity style if you’re working from home?
Since lots of things are on pause right now, this is a time when you can think about what you need and want in your life.
That’s why I recorded a video about my mantra “rest is the new hustle” and how to think about using this time to rethink your priorities and set yourself up for success when this is all over.
I know there’s a lot of fear and disappointment right now. But we will come out of this, and one way to combat the uncertainty is to start planning for the future.
Things will be different — and it’s up to you to figure out what you want that to mean in your daily life.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo had a great quote about this.
“This is going to be transformative on a personal basis. On a social basis, on a systems basis,” he said. “We’re never going to be the same again. We’re not going to forget what happened here.”
Our challenge is to make sure that transformation and change is positive and not negative.
BONUS FREEBIE: Want even more ways to stay organized, productive and less stressed? Click here to get access to my List-Making Starter Kit. It will boost your efficiency and get you back to doing more of the things you love.