My Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

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Tag Archives: "to-do"



What Did Johnny Cash Write in His To-Do List?

Every Wednesday is List Day, or Tip Day, or Quiz Day. This Wednesday: Johnny Cash’s to-do list. I love lists in every form, whether by me or by other people. I was crushed to realize that I’d missed the Morgan Library’s recent exhibition, Lists: To-dos, illustrated inventories, collected thought and other artists’ enumerations. I really wanted to see that. I …


The Ecstasy of Crossing Something Off the List.

This morning, my older daughter and I went to the post office to apply for her passport. I’d been dreading this trip for days. Every task associated with it filled me with anxiety — but nothing ended up being as hard as I expected. And as we walked out of the post office, I felt a giant surge of energy, …


“Nothing So Fatiguing as the Eternal Hanging On of an Uncompleted Task.”

“Nothing [is] so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” –William James * I always find a lot of interesting and beautiful material on Swiss Miss. Curation! * Is your book group reading The Happiness Project? I’ve prepared a one-page discussion guide for book groups, as well as a guide tailored for church groups, spirituality book groups, …


Six Tips for Forcing Yourself to Tackle a Dreaded Task.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Six tips for forcing yourself to tackle a dreaded task. It’s a Secret of Adulthood: Happiness doesn’t always make me feel happy. Often, I know I’d be happier if I do something I really don’t feel like doing. Making that phone call. Dealing with tech support. Writing that email. Going to the gym. …