My Do-not-Do List

Are you a list maker?

Me, too.

There is a tiny thrill in checking things off my list.

I draw little boxes next to each item and then make a check mark (with my red pen) when I get them done. Whatever I don’t get to, but I need to, I circle in blue. Whatever I don’t get to and probably don’t really have to (but I thought I should do when I wrote the list), or now it’s too late to do, I cross off with black pen. Anal, much? Here’s what it looks like in real time:

(and yes, those are paw prints on my to-do list. I have a Husky for a foster dog who walks on my desk if I leave the room. I think she’s trying to figure out what’s so interesting up there that I would ignore her. I know she looks innocent, but she isn’t. Trust me.)

If you’re a listmaker, you probably have your own system. But here’s the thing about lists, they can stress me out. Initially, making a list is supposed to reduce my stress. Putting it all on the page should mean I don’t have to keep going over it and reminding myself in my head.

But in reality, I live my life with this little tyrant in my head. I picture her wearing boots and carrying a riding crop, incessantly slapping the stick into her hands ALL DAY LONG. And I never please her. Her boot heels and that blasted crop tick away behind me everywhere I go.

There is ALWAYS something else to do. And I rarely make it to the end of my list.

This past weekend, while reading an early copy of an excellent book (Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want by Courtney Carver), I came across an idea for a Not-to-do list, which I immediately latched onto and rephrased as my ‘Do-not-do list’.

Here are a few of the items on my Do-not-do list:

• Check email on Sundays.
• Worry about whether my neighbor is annoyed with me (and my dogs). How do I know what she’s thinking? Maybe she looks grumpy because she’s having a bad day (again) or maybe she just has RBF.
• Look at social media or open my laptop after 5pm.
• Get frustrated with the poop-eating dog or the poop-slinging puppies. (Dogs are dogs. I signed up for this.)
• Care if my husband posts a terrible picture of me on Facebook.
• Get annoyed with the elderly dog who wants in/out nonstop like a cat.
• Assume I know what my husband is thinking (admittedly, this one will be a challenge).

There are actually a bunch of other things on my Do-not-do list. And the amazing thing is that yesterday—the first day I made a DND list as well as my TD list, I had a wonderful day. I did manage to not-do everything on my DND list, and I fell asleep easily and slept well.

I LOVE this concept. I think it will definitely make my life happier. I hope you’ll give it a try.

What’s on your Do-not-do list?

Hey, thanks for reading. I know you’ve got lots of options, so thanks for sharing a few of your minutes with me.

Honored,

Cara

I have a new book coming soon! Learn more, get an early copy, and support our effort to get copies to every shelter or rescue that wants one: https://igg.me/at/wwldo/x/38162640#/

If you like what you read and want to support my writing, consider buying me a cup of coffee.

If you’re curious about what else I’m up to, check out my website, CaraWrites.com.

If you’d like to subscribe to my twice-monthly newsletters filled with book recommendations, more stories, one truly fabulous recipe, and positive thoughts, click here.

If you’re a dog lover, check out my other blog, Another Good Dog. And if you want to know what is really happening in the animal shelters in this country, visit, Who Will Let the Dogs Out, and subscribe to the blog I write there.

I’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Instagram, and I’m thrilled to get email from readers (and writers), you can reach me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

My latest novel, Blind Turn is a mother-daughter story of forgiveness in the aftermath of a fatal texting and driving accident. It won the Womens Fiction category of the American Writing Awards. Learn more about it and find out how to get your copy here.

My most recent memoir, 100 Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues is available anywhere books are sold, but if you’d like some help finding it (or want to read some lovely reviews), click here.