Sometimes, I Don’t Want To Eat Frogs
My Domino To-Do List
Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. — David Allen
I’m a forgetful guy. I’m terrible at birthdays and chores, and I can barely remember that the garbage truck comes by my house on Tuesdays. This was pretty debilitating; I’d feel awful because I would forget about a birthday until the day before.
Laundry would get washed and then sit dormant and smelly in the washer until I wandered back into the laundry room. The dumpster would overflow with trash, unable to empty until I remembered to put it out at the right time. I could just never hold all that stuff in my head — I’m too busy using that space to write awesome Medium articles and beat Hogwarts Legacy.
So one day, a few months ago, I decided to learn everything I could about the Apple Reminders app. I know there are cooler, flashier programs out there, but I figured if I understood deeply enough the limits of the free onboard app, then maybe it would suffice. And it definitely does. I have a list of every birthday I come across. I have a list of house chores that replenish weekly or monthly.
Gone are the days of remembering to water the snake plant on the 25th of every month — now I let my phone remember for me. Everything I need to do but can’t do right this instant gets put on a list and assigned a due date. I even put fun emojis next to the recurring chores, just to make it more fun. I can now float through life without a care in the world; if I follow my list, I will live a clean, organized, productive life.
I don’t know much about Mark Manson. I know he can really title a book, but that’s about it. I guess he made the “just do something” rule, basically stating that if you’re unmotivated or uninspired, just get up and do something, whether it be jumping jacks or folding clothes. An object in motion will stay in motion.
So that brings me to my domino to-do list. It’s pretty simple. Within the Reminders app, I can have a view that shows only the things I need to get done today. From stuff for work, travel, side hustles, chores around the house, stretching, workouts, meditations, Bible studies, it’s all there. If I get everything on my list done, then it’s time to relax. I know it sounds like a rise-and-grind thing, but it isn’t. Sometimes I just feel wholly unmotivated; sometimes a book, a TV show, or a nap sounds like the best thing.
When I am feeling this way and I just can’t get out of my cycle of rest, I decide to do one thing. Something tiny, like starting a load of laundry or emptying the dishwasher. Sometimes it’s to get up and stretch or to listen to a chapter of the Bible. But it’s always the easiest thing on the list. And I just keep working until I grow enough momentum and motivation to tackle the hardest objectives for the day.
Rinse and repeat until the list is complete. (Bars)
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” -Mark Twain
But sometimes it’s just not true. Sometimes the frog just feels big and overwhelming. Sometimes it’s nice to warm up your muscles first.
If you wake up every morning and start your day with a horrible hard task, you could grow to dread the day and lament each morning. Thus starting your day on a sour note. Stay flexible. If you don’t feel like eating a frog. Have a plan in place to do something else!
Key Message: When you feel stuck or unmotivated, do the smallest most achievable task first.
