Anyone who knows me knows I love a to-do list as it’s a way of keeping my life organised and ensuring everything gets done. However, I’ve recently also been battling with the ‘silent to-do list’ which isn’t quite as satisfying.

Let me explain. 

For the last year I’ve been working on a minimalist lifestyle and have been decluttering my house like a demon. Every month for the last six months I have sold 60+ books and donated two bin-bags of ‘stuff’ to charity. And yet the house is still full. 

It’s an interesting journey. It stems from my time working abroad when I found it freeing to only have the stuff I could fit into a 23KG suitcase and a carry-on bag. Ten changes of clothes, basic cosmetics, a laptop and a kindle. I didn’t really need much else and if I did buy something I had to ensure it was worth the effort to take home again. Despite this experience, I still own so much more than I need. 

Whilst some items like my hot tub bring so much joy it’s worth it, there are other things that have become overwhelming. Minimalist Fumio Sasaki introduced me to the idea of the ‘silent to-do list’ and it is something that really rings true for me.

The concept is that the more stuff you have around, the more you have to do with it to maintain, organise and utilise it. It’s almost like the items owned come with a to-do list of their own that you can’t ignore.  

For me the hundreds, if not thousands of books I have are no longer comforting as they are constantly and silently screaming ‘read me’ and judging me for buying but not reading more. It may seem a first world problem but a real one nonetheless and it is a feeling we have all had in one way or another; 

• The washing up that needs doing and plays on your mind. 
• The laundry that has piled up which you need to deal with. 
• The running kit that reminds you that you haven’t used it in a while. 
• The DIY material you have but not yet put to use. 
• The blog post that needs writing, but you haven’t had time. 
• The web updates that need doing when you get around to it. 

According to Fumio Sasaki, the only way to shut up the ‘silent to-do list’ is to get rid of the stuff leading it. For me it’s to get rid of books I will never read or have already read. For others it could be reducing the number of clothes they have so that there will never be piles of washing, or actually completing the DIY task and using the material and tools bought.  

In business, it could mean outsourcing the tasks that play on your mind but never get done. A means of decluttering the to-do list. 

Getting someone else to write your blogs and do your monthly web updates will not only be a load off your mind as the tasks are no longer yelling at you that they need to get done but also they will be done, on time month after month. And the best thing? It’s not you that has to do them!

Helping with this ‘silent to-do list’ is one of the reasons I have introduced a new set of wonderful and time-saving monthly packages. Every month all of those content writing tasks and web updates are done for you as well as offering peace of mind with proofreading anything you write in-house ensuring your brand integrity is maintained. 

What is on your silent to-do list? What would you love to get rid off so you no longer have to deal with it? Why not have a chat with me and see what I could take off your silent to-do list leaving you to get on with the other to-do list.