The Life Changing Concept of a Silent To Do List
Today I’m sharing what a silent to do list is, and how it has totally transformed my mindset!
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I first heard of the silent to do list when I read the book Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki. Essentially Fumio says that every material possession in your home is sending you a message. Some of those messages are positive, while others are negative. For example:
- The dirty laundry is screaming wash me, dry me, put me away.
- Clothes in your closet may make you feel guilty for not losing the extra weight, or spending money on them and never wearing them.
- The beautiful vase of flowers reminds you of God’s amazing creation, and His promise to always care for and protect you.
- The family picture on the wall is a sweet memory of a special family vacation. (It may also be requesting you dust it!)
- The shoes cluttering the entryway are begging to be put away.
This concept is why a vacation rental or a hotel room seems so relaxing.
There’s nothing screaming at you telling you to do something. All you have to do is focus on the ones you love most. Isn’t that what most of us want?
How to apply the silent to do list
Do you feel completely overwhelmed by your home? Do you walk into a room, and immediately want to turn around and walk back out? May I suggest you start simplifying and see if your silent to do list doesn’t get a little shorter. Simply quieting our homes by removing clutter also quiets our mind and the ever present silent to do list.
Ask yourself this question when you’re decluttering, “what type of message is this stuff sending me?”. If the answer to that question is negative then ask, “Am I going to allow these things to keep making me feel negative, or is it finally time to let them go?”
I know that it isn’t easy to say goodbye to our things, but I can tell you from my own personal experience that there is so much joy in only having the things we love and use in our home. Sure there’s still housework, and stress, but the overall feeling of our home is one of peace and tranquility. Gone are the days of sifting through piles of clothes to find the shirt I love. There’s no more mega stacks of dirty dishes and the overwhelm that brings with it. No more feeling like the clutter is going to swallow me whole. I’ve freed myself of all of those things by simply saying goodbye to clutter. My silent to do list is so much shorter.
I know that we all have a different “tolerance level” for clutter and stuff. I’m not suggesting that you get rid of everything like Fumio Sasaki did. I am not even suggesting you get rid of more than half of your stuff like we have. I’m simply suggesting that you ask yourself the question, “what is this stuff telling me?” and go from there.
