Are you a list maker? Since I retired at the end of June, I start every day by making a to do list. In today’s post, find out why I believe everyone needs a to do list, regardless of their stage of life.

Welcome to the 79^th edition of The Sunday Spark, a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a decluttering challenge for the week. In addition to thoughts on to do lists, this week’s edition covers geothermal energy, polar bear facts, and vehicle thefts.

On my mind this week: Why everyone needs a to do list

Since I retired at the end of June, I start every day by making a to do list. Each day’s list has four or five things on it. Some of those things are small, like watering the plants. Others are bigger, like preparing for an upcoming presentation. And the daily to do list also includes tasks that are part of larger goals and projects, like setting up my retirement coaching business or that book I’m working on.

When I told my daughter Colleen about my daily to do list, she said “What’s the point of being retired, then? You might as well just go to work.” It’s an interesting point and is consistent with how most of the world looks at retirement—a lengthy period to do little or nothing. How boring!

I’ve always been a list maker, and I don’t think that will ever change. But there’s a significant difference between my to do list now and my to do list before retirement. Now, I’m the one deciding what goes on my list. It’s entirely driven by me and my goals, not my employer’s goals. That, to me, is the freedom that comes with retirement. Retirement is not about doing nothing. It’s about having the luxury to choose how I spend my days.

Why everyone needs a to do list

Retired or not, here’s why I believe everyone needs a to do list.

• It adds structure to your day. Time is a funny thing, and it gets away on us if we don’t make the most of it. After I make my to do list, I usually spend a couple of hours every morning working away on my tasks. That leaves the afternoons for lazing on the deck reading a book, exploring a new trail, or whatever else pops up.
• It keeps you working toward bigger goals. It may be a tired old saying, but every journey does start with a single step. Even the most overwhelming of goals feels smaller when you’re making progress toward it.
• It gives you a sense of purpose. I’m a big believer in the Japanese concept of Ikigai—loosely translated as “a reason to get out of bed in the morning.” I’ve been seeing more research showing that people with a sense of purpose are happier and may even live longer.
• It gives you a sense of accomplishment. Is there anything more satisfying than ticking an item off a to do list? Beyond that feeling of accomplishment, though, it’s good to look back at the end of each day and see what I’ve done. Time has a way of slipping away on us without a plan. Without that list, every day would start to look the same. That’s when boredom creeps in.

So, despite what the world tells me about how I should spend my time in retirement, I’ll continue to make my daily to do list. And if I start to feel restless or a little bit bored, I’ll pull out my “Curious list” for inspiration.

What about you? Do you make a to do list every day? Drop me a comment below with your thoughts.

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Three highlights of the week

It’s important to celebrate big milestones and simple pleasures in life. Keeping the trend going, here are three highlights and simple pleasures of the week gone by:

• My brother-in-law keeps bees and last weekend was honey-making time. We visited to see how honey is made. It was fascinating.
• On Wednesday, we had pizza from our favourite local pizzeria. Yummy!
• In last week’s edition of The Sunday Spark, I proclaimed that we still have a few more weeks before fall arrives. Mother Nature must have been listening because it has been a beautiful week here in southern Ontario. I’ve been taking full advantage of the warm, sunny weather and spending time out on the deck while I still can.

Things I learned this week

Life is all about learning. Here are three things I learned this week:

Geothermal energy powers new homes

Geothermal energy will fully power over 300 homes in a new housing development in Markham, Ontario—a suburb of Toronto. This will result in a 97% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for heating and cooling. (Source: The National Observer)

I admit I don’t know a lot about geothermal energy. Maybe it’s time to do a little research.

Polar bear season is almost here

Mid-October to mid-November is polar bear season in Churchill, Manitoba—known as the polar bear capital of the world and one of the world’s best places see view polar bears in the wild.

Here are some amazing facts about these beautiful creatures:

• They have the thickest fur of all bear species.
• Polar bear cubs weigh about 500 grams (1 pound). Cubs stay with their mothers for about two years before venturing out on their own. When fully grown, they can weigh 680 kilograms (about 1,500 pounds). That’s as much as a small car.
• Wild polar bears live 25 to 30 years.
• They can smell their prey from up to 16 kilometres (10 miles) away.
• While they might look cute and cuddly, they do not fear humans and are one of the deadliest land predators in the world.

(Source: Travel Manitoba)

Vehicle thefts at an all-time high

Every five minutes, a vehicle is stolen from a driveway or parking lot in Canada. Across Canada, auto thefts tripled between 2018 and 2022. Here in Ontario, auto theft increased by 48.2% between 2021 and 2023. Most stolen vehicles are shipped outside the country to be sold at inflated prices.

CAA is lobbying for updates to Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations. In the meantime, securing your vehicle with a steering wheel lock, locking your car’s key fob in a Faraday box, installing multi-factor authentication capabilities, and placing valuables out of sight are some ways to protect yourself and your vehicle.

(Source: CAA Magazine, Fall 2024, Driving Change, How Canada is putting the brakes on vehicle theft)

The weekly decluttering challenge will return next week

In 2024, I’ve been revisiting the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge I completed in 2021. I’m away in Nashville for a conference this weekend, so the weekly decluttering challenge will be back next week.

Until then, visit my decluttering page for inspiration and links to my free checklists.

I’d love to hear what you think about any of this week’s topics. Drop me a comment below and let me know your thoughts and ideas.