The Silent To-do List

I recently heard the idea of the Silent To-do List  from the book Goodbye Things by Fumio Sasaki. I haven’t read the book, but I  heard a really good explanation of the idea from Dawn the Minimal Mom on YouTube. 

The basic idea is that all of your things are talking to you and sending you subliminal messages. 

The dishes are saying wash me, the books are saying read me, the furniture is saying dust me, and those bags in the corner  are saying return me. (Am I the only one who always has returns that have to be dealt with???)

Part of what got me really got me excited about this idea, is that it goes along with the second step in my mindset management method, notice the negative. This step is all about noticing the subconscious thoughts that are creating negative emotions like worry, stress, and frustration for you. 

When I heard it explained that way, as a silent to do list, I was like YES that’s exactly what happens when I see things that I haven’t taken care of and I need to take action on!

For example, if I’m in the bathroom and I notice it’s getting dirty in there, I will roll my eyes and sigh. But once I finish up, I’ll move on without doing anything about it, only to come back later and think the same thoughts the next time. Each time I come and go without taking any action, it’s like adding that item to an unwritten to-do list somewhere in my brain.

 Even though I'm barely conscious of this, it creates a slight feeling of overwhelm that really adds up as I go throughout my house. 

So now I’ve decided I’m going to get rid of all my stuff.

Just kidding…I just decided that it would be helpful to raise my awareness of this as it happens so I can take action if possible, or make a mental note to actually get to that thing when I can. 

There’s a simple rule of thumb that says :

If something takes less than 5 minutes, just do it immediately.

Applying that rule can really help eliminate some of the stress of the silent to-do list. 

But if you don’t have 5 minutes, or if a task is going to take longer, just notice the passing thoughts you are having and recognize how they are impacting you. 

If there are weeds in the front flower bed, take a moment to either pull them or make a point to set a time on the weekend to take care of them.

If there are piles of laundry waiting for you, decide when you will get to  it and promise yourself you can turn on a favorite TV show while you do it. 

One simple thought I like is I could just take care of that really quickly. Or I might think about some kind of action step like, I’m going to put that in my car and I’ll take care of it when I go out to lunch on Friday. 

Since hearing this idea I have started doing better at taking care of little things quickly rather than letting them nag at me. I might take a second to dust something, put something away, or add an item to my written to-do list so that I know I will do it when it fits into my day.

Here’s an example of how I implemented this idea today. I was in the bathroom and noticed the base board was looking gross with dust and hair sticking to it. I got out a wet wipe from under the sink and wiped it down. Then I noticed the garbage that was overflowing so I emptied it and replaced the can liner. Before I left the bathroom I put away the few items that were cluttering up the counter. (I have a very small bathroom counter so it doesn’t take much for it to be covered!) Ta-da, I left the bathroom nicer than I found it in just a few minutes! This was better than what I usually do which is use my bathroom time for facebook time. :)

So as you walk through your house today, start noticing anything that gives you that little moment where you roll your eyes, or sigh, or maybe feel a little bit deflated or overwhelmed. You’ll be amazed how often little thoughts are nagging at you that you could eliminate with some quick  action, or by making an action plan for another time.This is wonderfully empowering, and it really reduces little moments of overwhelm that you might not even realize are happening. 

Try following this rule that my daughter and her husband have implemented, touch something once. Instead of putting a jacket on the couch, only to have to hang it up later, just take it off and hang it up. I know that makes so much sense, but it’s one of those things that sometimes we don’t do because we think are too rushed. I think this is a great way to eliminate many of those silent to-do list items.

Another simple rule to remember is:

Don’t pass it up, pick it up!

Any little helpful thoughts that you default to can help you when items are piling up on your silent to-do list. This will quickly help you address problem areas and get a handle on your space. Space in your house and space in your brain!

As you do this, remember that it is super important to not make all the little things you’re going to notice mean anything bad about you. Piles of of clutter, and lots of little things to take care of, doesn’t mean you’re a slob, or that you have too much on your plate. It just means you are a human doing your best, and this is going to give you a new tool to help you create a little better environment in your home.

I think it's also important to say that you don't have to take care of every little issue around the house. The main point of this post is to help you become aware of some of the silent to-do list items that you may be noticing, but just barely. When something is at the subconscious level it can affect your mood without you realizing it. If you can start to recognize those little thoughts, you can acknowledge them and decide if you really want to address whatever it is that might be bothering you. You decide if you want to put those little things on a your actual to-do list or not.  Sometimes you may just need to quiet your mind by reassuring yourself that you will take care of things when you can, or by just realizing that most things are not that big of a deal. 

I’d love to hear what you notice now that you are thinking about your silent to do list. Let me know in the comments below or send me an email at rachel@mommindset.com.

Here’s a link to the video I mentioned. Watch it here

Dawn has so many good videos to help you reduce clutter and get a grip on all the extra stuff in your home. I highly recommend her YouTube channel!

XOXO

Rachel