To-Do List: From a Helpful Tool to a List of Self-Deficiencies

Initially, to-do list it was a good idea. Humans have limited memories. It's natural to need notes. Just like we write “buy soap” because if we don't, we might end up buying two liters of ice cream, which isn't really a primary need, but a psychological one.

The problem is, to-do list today it is no longer a note of “things to do”. It has evolved into a note of “things that prove whether you are a worthy human being or not.”

You write:

  • Work on report

  • Reply to emails

  • Meeting 2 PM

Then, who knows what demon whispers, you add:

  • Study a foreign language for 30 minutes

  • Read 20 pages of a book

  • Exercise for 45 minutes

  • Tidy up the room

  • Cook healthy food

  • Build relationships

  • Build a career

  • Build a side business

  • Build a brand personal

  • Build a household (if necessary)

  • Wake up early (obviously)

Finally, the list is no longer to-do list. It's a manifesto of dissatisfaction.

And when you fail to complete everything, what you feel is not “oh well, I'll continue tomorrow”, but: “Am I a problem, right?”

Even though the problem is simple: you assign yourself to be a factory, while you are a human who sometimes just wants to eat fried snacks without feeling guilty.