This weekend I had a house to clean, posts to write, emails to send and new projects to plan. As I write this post, much all of what I had to do is left undone.

A year ago, or maybe less, I would have been mad at my lack of productivity. I would have scowled at the items on my to-do list, still uncrossed.

Today, I am different. I’m proud that I let my unimportant plans slip through my fingers. I laugh that I thought I “had so much to do”.

It seems so silly that we are often busy thinking about how busy we are. We get stressed thinking about all the things that have to get done. What if they don’t get done?

Instead of running errands and chasing tasks this weekend, I did whatever I wanted. I feel fully relaxed and happy and grateful.

I ignored my to-do list and did this instead…

• I walked somewhere different everyday.
• I talked on the phone to people that I love.
• I read a book for hours that had nothing to do with simplicity or blogging or productivity.
• I watched a movie in the middle of the day with my family.
• I showered in the late afternoon.
• I didn’t make my bed.
• I took a leisurely bike ride with my husband. We weren’t aiming to burn calories or track our heart rates. We just rode together.
• I lingered over a roasted red pepper and tomato sandwich alone at a small cafe.
• I stretched.
• I took a nap.

In all the things I didn’t do, I was never bored or anxious. In all the things that I did do, there was no planning or coordinating. I just let the weekend happen, and it was glorious.

My house still needs cleaning. My inbox is still full, but instead of dreading what is still left to do, I feel joy. I feel satisfied. I feel like I couldn’t ask for anything more than I already have.

In another life, I would have been grouchy and restless. I’d be figuring out how I would make up for my blissful weekend. Instead, I am basking in the glow of my un-productivity.

This post is not about shirking responsibility, but instead, identifying what is truly important. While I’ll still have to attend to my undone tasks, life is not crumbling around me because I didn’t do them yet.

If you’d like to join me next weekend or sooner, simply…

• put away your to-do list
• call a friend
• grab a book
• walk
• linger
• rest
• don’t plan or make plans

If you have “so much to do”, you might be doing things that don’t really matter. Don’t be afraid of silence or solitude. Don’t avoid lounging or lingering. Give in to it.

What would your perfect unproductive weekend look like?