Many of us have noisy minds. A cacophony of voices ring in our brains. Insistent voices. One of the loudest of those voices tells us things like "your success defines you." Or "you are what you do." Or "your value is wrapped up in what you accomplish."
And so it is that many of us push ourselves to complete tasks that, if we are honest with ourselves, don't bring us much joy at all.
Sure, there are necessary tasks in life. In a society like ours, many of us will end up destitute if we don't complete some basic tasks. Including work tasks.
There are also extra-curricular tasks that we push ourselves to do for a variety of reasons. We have a picture in our minds of what success looks like and we try to conform to that picture.
But in the midst of striving, we can lose touch with the things that give us joy or peace.
In our drivenness, we prioritize success over family or friends.
We push ourselves to care for others' needs even as our bodies cry out for rest.
We do extra work to stay in the good graces of our bosses-extra work without extra pay-even though we suspect they don't notice.
There are so many tasks to accomplish. So much to do that we need help.
Which is why there are a sickening amount of to do apps, productivity software, motivational books, and action planners.
But maybe what we really need is to slow down. Stop trying so hard. Focusing on rest. Finding our joy.
We need things that, by our society's standards, waste time. Do-nothing apps. Unproductivity software. Demotivational books. And, perhaps, an inaction planner.
Yes, an inaction planner is a bit ironic. It could very easily become another irritating thing on the to do list. If that's how you feel, please just put this on your shelf. But put it somewhere where you can see it everyday. Let this notebook be a reminder that it is ok to do absolutely nothing. It is ok to rest. It is ok to prioritize things that give you joy. Things that give you life. Even if those things get in the way of success.
