As so many of us resolve what we will do this year, some of us at Echoing Green have challenged ourselves to create something we’ve heard a few people talking about—our not to do lists. Now, this isn’t an invitation to simply flip your resolutions, to say “I will not drink too much soda” instead of “I will drink less soda or more healthy beverages.” So what are we talking about here? That’s where it gets interesting. Because each of us interpreted it differently.

You can tell you’re going to have “one of those days” pretty early on. Before 9 AM, I had forgotten to bring shorts to the gym (so I worked out in pants), forgotten my cell phone charger (and my phone ran out of battery as soon as I got to work) and as I got ready to make my morning coffee, I spilled the grounds all over the kitchen (when that all happens before 9 AM, you should probably go home and start over).