How the silent to-do list distracts us from what really matters
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where, despite checking off all the tasks on your visual to-do list, something else always demands your attention?
It’s a perpetual nagging feeling that robs you of the joy of your time. You cannot sit and enjoy some quiet time or time with loved ones because, in your mind, you know you have to do something.
This is called a “Silent to-do list.” We all carry a silent to-do list, which consumes our time and energy.
What is a silent to-do list?
Fumio Sasaki coined the term’ silent to-do list’ in his book Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism.
According to him, every item in our home requires our time and attention. Whether dirty clothes are on the floor, toys are scattered around, or house plants need water, every item silently tells us to do something with it.
Each item in our home requires our attention. Our dirty clothes are silently telling us to pick them up and put them away in the laundry basket. Toys on the floor are silently telling us to put them away. Our plants ask us to give them water or ensure enough sunlight.
How to tackle your silent to-do list
Our silent to-do list keeps us from spending time with our loved ones or distracts us from what truly matters.
That is why we feel relaxed and enjoy the space when we travel and stay in a hotel room. The rooms are not filled with clutter or items we do not need.
The beds are made, the sofas have a few throw pillows, and the decorations are minimal. As much as we would love to spend more time than we need to in hotel rooms, we can save money and create a home that we can enjoy and relax in.
To silence our silent to-do list and reclaim our time for the things we truly love, here are a few empowering tips to start now and take control of our silent to-do list.
- Minimize your possessions
Having fewer items in our homes can significantly reduce our silent to-do list. Fewer items mean less time spent handling, moving, or cleaning them, freeing up our time and energy and creating a more peaceful and organized living space. You should aim to keep only items you love and enjoy, making it easier to care for them. There are so many benefits of an organized home with fewer possessions.
You can read my ten benefits of an organized home, plus ten tips to get started post.
- Keep a clean and tidy home
Keeping a clean and tidy home is much easier with fewer items. A clean and tidy home can help keep your silent to-do list less distracting. All your items should have a home or a place where they belong, making it easy to keep your home clean and tidy.
If you have items that do not have a home, you should consider removing them to avoid clutter. Keeping your decorations minimal can also help maintain a clean and tidy home and avoid visual clutter.
It would be best if you also aimed to keep your counter clear of items. Store kitchen appliances like toaster and blender in the cabinets. Do this with all flat surfaces to simplify cleaning and minimize your silent to-do list.
- Put a time limit on items
Getting rid of items in your home can be tricky, especially when you have already spent money on them. The money is already spent, and keeping an item you do not use or enjoy makes your silent to-do list more distracting.
If an item was a gift, it can also be challenging to get rid of, but the thought of the person who gave you the gift counts. I do not think the person who gave you the gift will want you to keep an item you do not use.
Keep that in mind when you are giving a loved one a gift. Try to give something edible, a gift card to their favorite restaurant, or something as simple as your time and a get-together.
You can set a time limit on items you are having difficulty letting go of or items you are unsure if you want to let go of. Put those items in a box for donation, and if you have not gotten the items in the box after a month, go ahead and donate.
- One area at a time
You can work on the silent to-do list one area at a time, little by little. Work in an area where it may not be difficult to let go of items and remove visual clutter.
Start by spending as little as 30 minutes a day in one area until it looks less cluttered and messy. Then, continue in another area of your home. You will be surprised how much you can do with 30 minutes daily.
If you have home projects silently sending you messages, you can plan to do one a month, depending on the project.
- Prioritize what brings you joy and let go of the rest
If you used to enjoy a hobby and you no longer enjoy it or do not make time for your hobby, you should let go of those items. That hobby probably was not bringing you joy, so that is why you were not making the time for the hobby. It can also be that you may not be in the season right now for that hobby.
Donating what you can may help someone else who is interested in that hobby at this time. But if you feel the hobby brings you joy, try to make time for it.
If not, also put a time limit.
Another example is if you have some house plants that bring you joy and love to take care of them, go ahead and keep the plants and let go of all other distractions requiring your attention that do not bring you joy.
- Maintain
After decluttering and keeping items you love or use, you must maintain your home. When new items come in, some should be removed to prevent your home from becoming cluttered.
Create a simple cleaning routine that does not take long and keeps you from not cleaning all weekend. Once you declutter and have a few items, maintaining them in your home will be a breeze. This will help reduce the silent to-do list.
Final thoughts
It can be challenging to completely minimize our silent to-do list since we need items in our homes, but we can lessen it with these tips.
By removing items we do not need, use, or love, we are creating a home we can enjoy being in.
It will make cleaning and tidying up easy and ready for last-minute company.
That is why I embrace a minimalist lifestyle and enjoy talking about all the benefits of minimalism.
You can read my How to start a minimalist lifestyle 15 simple tips.
Comment below and let me know how you will minimize the silent to-do list.