You don't have to do things later

I have 2.5K things to read on my Read Later App.

I if I were to read one of those a day, it would take me seven years to check out my list. Seven years!

Over time, I've been tempted to delete them all—only if I could free myself from that nagging undercurrent noise. "I have 2.5K things to read, on top of my emails, on top of my backlog, on top of everything."

This year, I was "this" close to wipe out the list. But then, I took a different route.

The result surprised me. It freed my mind from the pressure. It even makes me smile every time I notice or remember what I did.

What did I do?

I changed the folder from "Unread" to "My Kiosk"

Now, I have a virtual newsstand store, curated by me, full of things that picked my attention—things I can browse, peruse, or leave untouched if I want to.

That, as opposed to 2.5K "Unread" things to go through!

Oh, one more thing! I have noticed that I'm now reading more from "My Kiosk," as well.

Those items are then pulled from this kiosk to "My Library," the recipient I used to call "Read."

Does your productivity system make you smile? I've learned it's possible.

Here's one way to apply this principle into your workflow.

Don't create "To Do Lists," create "Maybe Lists*"

*Other names to consider: "Option List," "Inbox," "[Insert your name here]."

The key here is not just to remind you that a choice is a thing you do, but also to signal it on your productivity system.

You have the power to make things easy and fun.

Ponder about this. Write me back if you want a sounding board.

All best,

Alberto

P.S. If you use a Read Later App and it doesn't allow you to rename categories, I strongly recommend the one I use. It's called Raindrop.io. (And it's private, by the way).