Want to establish a sense of meaning in work? Ditch your to-do list!

In this post, you'll discover 3 reasons to ditch (or more correctly,?supplement!) your to-do list and create a to-be list today!?

Our take on ‘to-be’ lists is informed by research which shows that identity (how you see yourself and your capabilities) is the root cause of positive performance and behaviour change.?

In theory, the idea is very simple:?sit down and write a list of the person you wish to become, use this list to help you determine your unique approach to tasks, and evaluate your days and weeks on how closely you are getting to the person you wish to become.?

Sounds simple, right??

The challenge is in:?

1. Understanding the science of identity, meaning and performance. (How do you summarise the research?)
2. Deciding who it is you want to become (what really matters to you?)
3. Linking your to-do list with your to-be lists (how do you operationalise a to-be list?) ?

????DM me for a few tools to answer these questions?

Your to-be list is not static, however it is far less variable than a to-do list,?as it encodes insights around stable characteristics that are meaningful to you and which will guide day-to-day actions and decision making.?

Without further ado:

Three reasons for ditching (or more realistically supplementing!) your to-do’s, with to-be’s. ?

1. Meaning: To-be lists crystallise what is important to you, giving you a clearer decision making process, and allowing you to move towards activities that hold a deeper sense of meaning for you personally.?
2. Transformation: Relatedly, working towards your to-be list is a practice that will radically shift the dial for you, as you will cease in activities that tinker at the edges, and engage in more activities that bring about transformational change for you in the context of work and beyond
3. Distinction: To-be lists adds a layer of distinction or ‘uniqueness’ to your activities as it will often outline an approach to how you go about your work. It has the power to distinguish the way you show-up inside and outside of work.?

As well as the benefits, there are more elements to consider, if you wish to try this approach: ?

1. How you use your to-be list to stay accountable daily?
2. How you measure success, which will reside in how you feel about yourself and how you feel about your role?
3. How you translate the benefit of a ‘to-be’ list to teams, giving teams a very clear sense of identity.?

???? DM me for a few tools to answer these questions?

For now, give it a go! Reflect on who you wish to become, and create your ’to-be’ list today. This simple tool could transform your relationship to your work, and give you a greater sense of meaning.