Putting the Lawnmower Before Your To-Do List

Today, the world learned of the untimely death of Dave Freeman, author of "100 Things to Do Before You Die," at age 47. After experiencing over half of the adventures listed in his book, Mr. Freeman died of a head injury resulting from an accidental fall at his home. According to his co-author, Neil Teplica, "The title (of the book) meant 'you should live every day like it would be your last,' and there's not that many people who do...It's a credit to Dave -- he didn't have enough days, but he lived them like he should have."

Next Monday, a majority of Americans will say goodbye to summer on Labor Day--the day we honor workers before we begin work again! For many, the holiday is synonymous with new beginnings: as the academic year begins and campuses buzz with a fresh start, many job seekers will jump-start their search for permanent employment. Some will apply and get started with lists reminiscent of New Year's Resolutions. If you enjoy multi-tasking or are in a hurry of a particular sort, you may appreciate the following recent piece from the New York Times entitled Ten Things to Do Before You Finish This Article.

But before you set up automatic job search agents, polish your resume for rapid deployment, and start at the top of your to-do list with everything that must be done...I encourage you to smart small: is there anything that's getting under your skin now that might be fixed with only a minor adjustment?

My friend Jason Alba, wrote a great piece about this recently--he lived with a lawnmower that spit grass in his face for years until he spent a few minutes and discovered that all it needed was a slight adjustment. Are there any current modifications that you can make to your current situation that will make it more bearable for the short-term--and may even make it more attractive in the long-term?

After all, aggressively pursuing a lengthy to-do list can lead to rapid burnout; fixing minor annoyances can free up your time for both your job search and your personal life. Will you feel as though you've lived if you haven't been land-diving in Vanuatu, attended Las Fallas or the Academy Awards? Dave Freeman felt all of these adventures enriched his life: what's on your personal must-do list?