Ripping up the to-do list

How planning less has helped me to do more

I know! Trust me, I’m as shocked as you are to read this from me. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have extolled the virtues of list making over the years. I have defined myself in my bio as a ‘lover of lists’ and most of my days still start with a quick list in my bullet journal.

But recently I have been experimenting with something new. Something revolutionary - for me. Sitting down at my laptop or opening my notebook and rather than looking at the top item on my to-do list, I’ve been asking myself “what do I want to work on?” - and then, crucially, listening to the answer that comes back.

It has made a world of difference to how I approach my work and how productive I feel I am being. I still have a list so that I don’t forget things - my butterfly brain can’t be trusted to keep track of everything and I have learnt the hard way that the only way to reduce my mental load is to Write Everything Down.

But the key change for me is recognising that just because I have written it down, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to get done there and then. That I haven’t ‘failed’ that day if I don’t have a nice, neat line of ticks alongside each item. That sometimes the act of writing it down is sufficient, and that it will get done in good time.

In short, if it isn’t a hearty, sacral ‘hell, yes’ then I’m not going to do it. At least not at that point, although I might well circle back to it later.

My new strategy now involves a weekly list that everything goes on to. When I sit down to work I quickly review it and start work on whatever feels good to me in that moment. Sometimes it might be 10 minutes of writing a blog post or fleshing out a new idea. Sometimes it might be jumping on to Canva to bulk create a few graphics or it might be to work on something that I have been procrastinating over for ages - but crucially now the energy feels different.

Interestingly, once I have got the ‘hell, yes’ part out of the way I often find that some of the other items on my list look a tad more appealing. Once I’ve ‘scratched the itch’ as it were and given free rein to my sacral energy I can dive into some of the less appealing tasks and tick those off too.

At this point it seems appropriate to introduce the wonderful

Sarah Lynas

who has kindly agreed to co-author and add her unique perspective to this post. I have been following Sarah’s work for a long time now and her posts on Human Design have really helped me to understand myself a lot better.

Sarah did my Human Design chart for me a while ago and like around 35% of the population I am classed as a Manifesting Generator. This is a group that is characterised by having a strong sacral energy - it gives us focus and allows us to be really creative, energised and to bring new ideas into being quickly.

Crucially though, we can only really achieve satisfaction in our work when we are following our own gut decisions. I have known for a long time that I don’t respond well to external pressures or deadlines - in fact I’ll often run a mile from them. I can lose hours in a project that I’m really invested in. But give me something that it is to someone else’s timetable and specification and it’s like pulling teeth. No amount of ‘accountability sessions’ are going to make me want to sit down and do it.

Unpacking my Human Design chart with Sarah honestly gave me so much insight into how I am as a person and how I respond to everyday situations. I’ve learned to listen to and rely on my inner voice a lot more (trying to leave my ego at the door), and that the way I process auditory information means that the sounds around me can easily leave me feeling overwhelmed.

I always thought I was just a grumpy so-and-so but it appears there is a real reason behind my intolerance for loud or repetitive noises (and that noise cancelling headphones are a game-changer for me).

With that being said, I’d love to hand this over to Sarah now for her thoughts on this and why understanding our Human Design archetype can be such a powerful took for us.

Sarah Lynas

Thank you Louise, wow! I’d love to say firstly how very satisfying it is for me, to hear how you’ve been leaning into your design and making changes to the way you work. As a Generator that tells me how aligned I am too!

You’ve described your journey and acceptance, or rather embracing, of your design so well, and I think you’ve really captured the secret to human design:

Often when clients come to me there are things about themselves that they don’t like, want to change, find uncomfortably different to others, and so on. But once we look at their chart, and see how those things are part of their overall design, it changes the energy entirely. They begin to accept and embrace the ‘niggles’, the quirks, the differences. We might find these a-ha moments in the four arrows as you did with your “low sound” preference (where mine is “high sound” – good to know when we meet for coffee!), in the definition of the centres (coloured in or white) or in bridging gates…

… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s starting by talking about Type.

You mentioned being a Manifesting Generator (often shortened to MG) which is one of five types, along with Projector, Manifestor, Reflector and Generator. What Type does really, is group us by ‘type’ of aura, and this is what tells us what Strategy to use, to allow our energy to work best in the world. So Type and Strategy go hand in hand and are the first place for anyone to look in their chart if they are thinking about exploring their design.

The other secret to human design is that it can be remarkably simple; learning how to use your Type, Strategy & Authority is often all you need to make profound changes to your life / work / family. And of course, for a deeper journey there are lots of other juicy details to explore too. To discover your Type, look up and download your free chart here and then play along below.

The 5 Types & their Strategies

The Manifestor is here to spark change in the world. At 10% of the population, they often feel different to the rest of the world and are not here to like, or be liked by, everyone. Their aura type is ‘repelling’ which means they are not designed to be influenced by the rest of us, rather to be free to experience the creative urges or flashes of inspiration they need to pay attention to. Repelling doesn’t mean that Manifestors push people away, however only the ‘right’ people will get within their aura and into their inner circle.

The Strategy of a Manifestor is to initiate, and to inform. This means not waiting for permission, not checking in with a coach, parent or other outer authority, but to go ahead (providing their inner Authority is on board) with their creative urges. Informing others is essential to clear the way so they can move at speed or be in flow with their creativity, instead of being slowed down by the questions and opinions of others. It’s worth noting that Manifestors won’t be initiating all the time, and should rest and take care of themselves instead of seeking out the next ‘thing’ to do.

Journaling prompt: What desires or impulses have been arising within me lately? How can I communicate my intentions to those around me before taking action? Reflect on a time when informing others before acting led to a smoother experience.

The Generator is here to build and create the new world, inspired by the Manifestor. They are here to work, and to be lit up by that work, to create and use energy. Their aura type is warm and enveloping when they’re aligned, pulling in opportunities and the right people to respond to.

Because the Strategy of a Generator is to respond. Not to initiate, not to take a flash of inspiration and make it happen, but to respond (with a sacral / gut yes or no) to the outside world. This is how a Generator knows their next steps, by following this step-by-step trail of breadcrumbs. Recognising that they need to surrender to this flow, and accepting that they won’t yet see the end destination, can be very liberating for a Generator.

Journaling prompt: What opportunities or situations have recently come into my awareness? How did my body respond to them? Reflect on moments when you waited to respond rather than initiating action. How did that impact your energy and satisfaction?

The Manifesting Generator shares a lot in common with the Generator Type, and in addition to building and working, the MG is also here to find better ways, to experiment, move fast and get things wrong. Their aura type is also warm and enveloping when aligned.

Their Strategy is to respond, again, just like the Generator, but also to inform, similar to the Manifestor. This informing is simply to clear the way for them to move at speed without interruption, along their breadcrumb path, following those sacral nudges.

Journaling prompt: How am I balancing my natural urge to move quickly with the need to respond to what life presents? Reflect on a recent experience where you paused to respond and informed others before taking action. How did it feel to align with your Strategy?

The Projector is here to see the use of energy in the world and guide us to be more efficient and effective. Their aura type is direct and penetrating, it can feel as though a Projector is giving you laser focus when they are noticing you, as if they can see inside (because they can), and then quite different when that laser beam moves on to the next person.

The Strategy of a Projector is to wait for the invitation. Although they are a vast source of wisdom and guidance, when their thoughts are offered without an invite first, they won’t land or be appreciated, leaving the Projector feeling bitter and unseen. Projectors with healthy self-worth will be invited by the right people to bring the right wisdom to a situation, so rest and healing are essential priorities for them.

Journaling prompt: What invitations have I received recently, whether explicit or implied? How do I discern which ones are truly aligned with my energy and purpose? Reflect on a time when you waited for recognition and an invitation before engaging. How did it impact your sense of success?

The Reflector is here to see the potential in people and the planet, and has a ‘sampling’ aura. They can choose whether to be resistant to the influence of others, or to reach out and ‘sample’ the energies around them, in order to feel what is brewing or incoming. Reflectors often feel different to most people; and they are, making up just 1% of the population. Understanding their design can bring great comfort and validation.

The Strategy of a Reflector is to wait a lunar cycle, ie 28 days. This is because Reflectors don’t have the same consistency of inner Authority that the other types have, but can find consistency by tracking their responses as the moon transits their chart. During this time anything that is not meant for them will move on, and what remains is correct for them to say yes to.

Journaling prompt: What themes or patterns have emerged over the past month? How do they reflect the environment I’m in? Reflect on a significant decision you’ve made after giving yourself time to observe and feel into it. How did waiting affect the clarity and outcome of your decision?

And once you have started to fully understand your Type, you might want to experiment with your inner Authority (how you are designed to make decisions) along with some other aspects of your chart, as Louise has done. And here are 3 options for you to do just that:

1. Choose a 60 minute “Unpack” of your chart **usually £90 ~ 10% off for Everyday Knitter readers**

2. Indulge in a 4 session journey through your design **usually £320 ~ 15% off for Everyday Knitter readers**

3. Get on the waitlist for Explore & Align, a group experience starting again in Jan/Feb 2025 

    ** email me (sarah@sarahlynas.co.uk) to book direct and enjoy this special offer!

This essay is part of a series - 24 Essays Club kindly hosted by

Claire Venus