Double Space

I love lists—any list. I have lists of books I’ve read, books I want to read (so many), and movies I want to see. I have lists of places I want to visit and things I want to accomplish. And of course, I have a very long bucket list. But there is nothing I love more than a to-do list.

I spend too much time (and money) each year trying to decide what type of planner I want to use. I always end up going back to the same tried-and-true applications and systems, but I can’t help wondering if there is something better out there.

A while back, Joan and I were talking about our shared love of lists and task tracking, and we decided it’s a really good idea to double-space when making a to-do list. You never know when you’ll need to squeeze in an extra task or break one down into smaller steps. But if you stop and think about it, building in extra space in all of our endeavors is a wise way to live.

If we can learn to leave space between our activities, we give miracles a chance to happen—and give ourselves time to notice where they already have. The space between our thoughts and our words can keep us from making a fool of ourselves or speaking harshly to someone we love. Using the three-second rule while driving gives us space to react appropriately and might keep us out of an accident. This theory applies to other areas of our lives as well.

In a world where everyone is trying to cram as much as possible into the 24 hours we’re given each day, adding space seems counterproductive. But I’m beginning to understand that it’s imperative. The more we build in time for reflection, the better our experiences will be.