28 Oct Nothing I Can Do
I looked down at my to-do list, which right now is in the form of about 25 neon-colored sticky notes all over my desk, each one full of my handwritten notes in black ink. I’ve arranged them in neat rows, but glancing at them as I walked into my office each morning was giving me a feeling of dread and overwhelm.
I sat down and started looking at each sticky note. My head started to feel heavy as the weight of all the items flooded my brain. I eagerly held my pen, hoping I could cross off at least one thing. Nope. I couldn’t make even one satisfactory strike through an item.
As my eyes scanned the list, something occurred to me – some of the items were things that I was involved with, but at the moment there was nothing I could do about them. At the present, they were in someone else’s capable hands, and I was simply waiting for their input, review or feedback.
I had an idea. I took out a blue pen. Next to all the items that were in someone else’s hands, I wrote N.I.C.D. – “Nothing I Can Do.”
Your to-do list might be made up of work items like mine – but this could also apply to the list you carry in your mind: issues you are ruminating about from the past, or worries as you look into the future. If we determine we’ve done everything we can, and there’s no need for our action at the present, we can let go and spend our time attending to things we can do something about.
I glanced at my sticky notes again. Suddenly, the weight of my to-do list seemed much lighter. I started writing my blog post for this week. This very post you’re reading right now. It was one thing I could do something about.
Where can you write “N.I.C.D.” this week to lighten the load you are carrying?