The Top of My Todo List

Paul Graham’s essay The Top of My Todo List addresses how to avoid life’s biggest regrets.

The Regrets Framework

Graham distills dying patients’ regrets into one principle: “don’t be a cog.” People unconsciously shrink themselves to fit circumstances and operate mechanically.

The Danger of Omission

Major life mistakes are typically “errors of omission”—things left undone rather than actively done wrong. These happen “by default,” making them insidious.

The Solution: Inverted Reminders

Graham inverts the five regrets into five affirmative commands:

“Don’t ignore your dreams; don’t work too much; say what you think; cultivate friendships; be happy.”

These statements serve as his todo list header.

My Takeaway

Intentional, recurring reminders are necessary counterweights to our default patterns of negligence in matters most essential to meaningful life.

What’s at the top of your todo list? I’d love to hear at persdre@gmail.com.