3. What would it look like to be done for the day?

A question for writing up today’s to-do list. This is a slight variation of another one of Oliver’s questions: “What would it mean to be done for the day?”

When you end the day feeling like there’s vastly more you ought to have done, you’re telling your nervous system it can’t take a break; and

... See more

2. Will this enlarge or diminish me?

This is a question for making big decisions. I first heard this advice in Oliver Burkeman’s last column for The Guardian, ”The Eight secrets to a (fairly) fulfilled life”:

When stumped by a life choice, choose “enlargement” over happiness. I’m indebted to the Jungian therapist James Hollis for the insight that

... See more

When stumped by a life choice, choose “enlargement” over happiness. I’m indebted to the Jungian therapist James Hollis for the insight that major personal decisions should be made not by asking, “Will this make me happy?”, but “Will this choice enlarge me or diminish me?” We’re terrible at predicting what will make us happy: the question swiftly

... See more