I use a single word as guidance for the year - it's a practice that has shaped my life in interesting ways over the last decade or so I've been doing it. My word for this year is lucipetal - turning towards the light.
When I’m faced with a long to-do list (especially on a weekend, when my time isn’t structured the way it is during the workweek) I try, as often as I can, to simply take the day as it comes. I set the list aside, begin with one small task, and let that carry me toward whatever feels right next. I usually get just as much done as I would with a list-based approach, but the non-essential, self-imposed pressures tend to fall away. What remains is a way of moving through the day that’s far more relaxed than being a slave to a must-do list.
What a lovely word! One thing I do notice is that, without a written to do list, sometimes there still is a to do list - it just lives in my head instead of on paper. I’m just trying to notice that right now.
Insightful piece on how shifting from statements to questions completly changes the internal dialogue. The minset of asking "what if this were easy" rather than declaring "I need to do more" is subtle but powerful because it invites curiosity instead of judgment. I struggled with this for years in my own work until someone pointed out I was treating every task like an emergency, and just pausing to ask that question helped me see options I'd been missing.
I use a single word as guidance for the year - it's a practice that has shaped my life in interesting ways over the last decade or so I've been doing it. My word for this year is lucipetal - turning towards the light.
When I’m faced with a long to-do list (especially on a weekend, when my time isn’t structured the way it is during the workweek) I try, as often as I can, to simply take the day as it comes. I set the list aside, begin with one small task, and let that carry me toward whatever feels right next. I usually get just as much done as I would with a list-based approach, but the non-essential, self-imposed pressures tend to fall away. What remains is a way of moving through the day that’s far more relaxed than being a slave to a must-do list.
What a lovely word! One thing I do notice is that, without a written to do list, sometimes there still is a to do list - it just lives in my head instead of on paper. I’m just trying to notice that right now.
You are a great writer and photographer!
That’s so kind of you to say, Ryan. 🙏
Insightful piece on how shifting from statements to questions completly changes the internal dialogue. The minset of asking "what if this were easy" rather than declaring "I need to do more" is subtle but powerful because it invites curiosity instead of judgment. I struggled with this for years in my own work until someone pointed out I was treating every task like an emergency, and just pausing to ask that question helped me see options I'd been missing.