When I think of “must do” items, there are many more, of course. Thinking about them is like releasing a flood gate and they come rushing in.<\/p>\n

I know that I must be responsible for my own happiness, find my own joy, have my own goals and pursue them with passion and purpose. I must exercise, eat more vegetables, meditate, and read more.<\/p>\n

But feeling like I must<\/em> do those things seems like a lot of pressure when things have been a little rocky.<\/p>\n

It turns out that I actually do not have to do them all with great zeal every single day. Ideally, yes, that would happen. But let’s be real. There are days when finding the joy is easier said than done, and when you’re just not sure what you want to be when you grow up, and when you decide cauliflower just isn’t great.<\/p>\n

Letting go of those and other must do items makes me less ambitious. This Friday evening, I’m pretty okay with that.<\/p>\n

Right now, that works, for me.<\/p>\n

Because I live with a teen, I have no idea what tomorrow will bring, so I’m hesitant to commit too far into the future. Things can change.<\/p>\n

Maybe even now, that doesn’t work for you. That’s okay, too. If you feel differently and your must do list is what keeps you feeling great, I return to \u00a0the words of Amy Poehler, “Good for you. Not for me.”<\/p>\n

And that’s what I’ll think the next time I see another “must do” list online.<\/p>\n