Ambition & Balance

From the makers of Todoist and Twist

Are you living your life with intention or stuck on autopilot?

Before answering straight away, consider the small reflexive actions you take each day. Maybe you’re moving towards a goal that you no longer identify with. It could mean slogging through the business book you’re meant to read, instead of the fantasy novel you want to read. Perhaps you’re just going through the motions at work, instead of feeling truly engaged. 

When days feel more robotic than reflective of the life you want to lead, take a moment to consider what “sparks joy”, to borrow a famous phrase from organizational expert Marie Kondo.

This week, we updated and re-published The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your To-Do List, a step-by-step guide that applies the “KonMari” method of tidying your home to ensuring your to-do list sparks joy instead of dread. If you’re constantly dragging yesterday’s to-dos to today or cringing at the clutter on your to-do list, consider a clean-up. 

By being more deliberate with the tasks you keep on your list, you’ll be more conscious of the way you’re spending your time. The simple act of refreshing your task list could be the catalyst to reconsider other parts of your life too.  

If you’re craving change, peruse these additional articles on hitting the reset button:

• Burned Out and Fantasizing About a Big Life Reset? Start Here –– you're never too old to ask "What should I be when I grow up?" Whether you’re tired of the corporate slog or longing for something different, take these concrete steps towards your dream job. 
• Organize Your Home With Todoist –– Accumulating stuff never makes us quite as happy as we think it will. Clear it all away and make room for calm and order in your home. 
• How to Declutter Your Digital Life & Reclaim Your Attention –– Audit your entire digital life –– from documents and photos to social media and apps. Reclaiming your online space means making way for mental space too. 

If you’ve been waffling back and forth on making a change, consider this newsletter the “sign” you’ve been waiting for! Whether it’s taking the small step to tidy your tasks or making a radical professional leap, your future self will thank you. 

Productively, 
Fadeke and the Doist Team
 

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What we're reading (and writing with)...

99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice

Last year, Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired, released a video sharing 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice to mark his 68th birthday. This year, he’s back with 99 more tidbits of wisdom on building a good life. Here are three of my personal favorites:

1. “Be governed not by the tyranny of the urgent but by the elevation of the important.”
2. “That thing that made you weird as a kid could make you great as an adult — if you don’t lose it.”
3. “When brainstorming, improvising, jamming with others, you’ll go much further and deeper if you build upon each contribution with a playful “yes — and” example instead of a deflating “no — but” reply.”

Why Can’t American Workers Just Relax?

Elaine Meyer, a regular contributor to Ambition & Balance, penned a thought-provoking article in Dame Magazine on the “right to disconnect” and companies increasingly encroaching on employee off-time: 

“If we don’t do anything, what we’ve hated most about pandemic work could become permanent—not just always-on communication but the use of employee surveillance software or offloading home office costs like internet bills and computers onto employees.”
 

OmmWriter: A Perfect Place to Think and Write

If you regularly write, whether it’s blog posts, company memos, or notes to self, there’s a good chance you brush up against distraction: social media, browser tabs, and email notifications galore. 

I highly recommend OmmWriter for a gorgeous and distraction free writing experience. It’s customizable, so you can write with the stunning backdrop of the sea or a sunset. The tool also has the option of playing soft music while you write. 

From the archives

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Creating tools for a more fulfilling way to work and live.

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