Dearest Darling Friends,

I recently realised that I am wandering through life with an invisible backpack slung over my shoulders. This backpack is not a typical laptop bag or carryon.

It’s a peculiar backpack filled with

• Unfinished tasks
• Lingering responsibilities
• And those ‘should-dos’ that seem to multiply like rabbits in a garden.

Now, these tasks are not like the artefacts that dazzles us and we collect impulsively. These tasks don’t just silently settle in the loft of my house and stay there patiently forever.

These tasks are like those pesky super tiny pebbles that find their way into my shoes when I go for a trek. They cause discomfort and make a constant reminder of their presence.

Some tasks are small, like a reply that I ‘should have’ sent or a birthday wish I wanted to make.

Others are big pebbles, like the book on ‘How to Close the Sale?’ that I been promising myself to write or the preparation for a half marathon that I wish to begin or a heart to heart talk I wish to have with the person who misbehaved with me.

Each task used to add a little more weight to my backpack, making most of the days feel like a uphill trek.

Do you go through something similar? If the answer is a YESSSS, fear not, fellow wanderer. There are two magical remedies that have helped me to lighten this load and I am going to share them with you. (Smile Please)

1. Any task that will take less than 5 mins to complete, tackle those tasks head-on, like a knight slaying a dragon. Complete them, and they will leave you with a backpack that feels as light as a feather.

My lazy bone used to say, ‘postpone’. It’s a super small pebble. My trekker mind says, ‘I will remove this pebble the moment I realise, it is there’.

The first 5 attempts to remove these pebbles seemed herculean. After a little practice, it has become effortless. I am loving’ it.

1. The second remedy is to let them go, like releasing a balloon into the sky. I have given yourself permission to stop carrying the burden of unfinished tasks.

If I cannot put something in my calendar, I let them go. I have stopped using the word, ‘later’ or ‘soon’. They were the big pebbles in my shoes.

There is a new spring in my walk. There is a natural smile on my face. There is a new purpose in my walk. Thanks to these two simple yet doable steps.

So, take a moment to ponder what’s weighing down your backpack.

• Is it the diet you wanted to start?
• Its it the trek you wanted to go on?
• Is it the flute that you wanted to learn?

Either start by giving them 5 mins, or calendarise them or let them go. It worked for me. I am sure it will work for you too.

May your journey through life be as light as a breeze.

💡 Each week I share real insights from 26+ years of mentoring experience.

🛠 They are always light to read, maybe too simple, absolutely practical and sometimes profound too.

If you 👍 like this one, your comment (even if it is a short one) will make my day.

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