Gay Hendricks — Blog — Start3Things

“Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?’” – Marcus Aurelius

Start3Things is not a magic formula to be more efficient, to find shortcuts to longcut work or to do more with less. Rather, it’s a prompt, an invitation, your permission slip to wake up, to challenge old stories, to stop busy work, to start new things with no concern for perfection, to improve with practice, to go deeper rather than wider and to focus on daily actions that move you closer to your purpose.

When we realize acutely that our days are numbered and the number is unknown, our perspective shifts, attention hones and efforts focus on what is truly necessary. Minor irritations, inconveniences and excuses are replaced with intention, consistency and rigor of practice.

“Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?” - Mary Oliver, Have You Ever Tried to Enter the Long Black Branches

I had several reasons to not start this article this morning. Shopping and planning for the holidays. Figuring out how I’m going to get every single task that others have put on my list done this week so they can enjoy their holidays. Planning for 2020. Going to the club to work out. And the list goes on and on.

When we take inventory of what’s been put on “the list” on purpose and by accident, by me or by others, we often come up short on the meaningful work that we define and plan. ” I call this “checklist” living and I’ve mastered it.