My To-Do Lists Have To-Do Lists

I’ve invented a new system to get me to do things I don’t like to do.

Like laundry. Let's talk laundry. I love the act of my clothes getting clean, mostly because a machine does it. But when it comes to folding the laundry that is now clean or hanging it up in my closet, well… that’s a different story.

So my new technique is that anything I want to put off doing, I put on my bed. My bed that is made each day piles up slowly with junk things to do.

But you see the problem occurs when I’m really tired and cranky and just want to go to bed because I can’t get under my sheets. So what do I do? I sit that same pile of clothes on the floor.

“I’ll fold them tomorrow.”

They then end up back on my bed the next morning as a reminder of something to do.

This week marked the first week of school. I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which you would think would leave me plenty of time Monday-Wednesday-Friday for completing my to-do lists.

Let’s talk about my to-do lists. Most people cross them out as they get done. But usually, when I cross something off my to-do list, ten things get added. For instance, you washed your sheets. Great! Well, it’s your week to scrub the bathtub, take out the trash, read that book, write that response paper, solicit for lamination, go to that meeting, e-mail that person, etc.

You get the picture.

Which leaves me here. In my room. On a Saturday. Writing, what else, but to-do lists.

I tried this other technique where I color-code my to-do lists. But then I ended up with 8 different colored sticky notes only to find that the “code” meant nothing except that your desk is really colorful. 

So tonight, I folded my laundry. Yes, you are allowed to clap.

I scrubbed my shower. I took out the trash. I mopped the kitchen floor. I sent that e-mail (sorry it’s taken me a few days). I read the first paragraph of that book.

All in a good day’s work. And there’s more to come—the night is young.

So my point of to-do lists? Something I’ve learned from all this besides the fact that your t-shirts get really wrinkly when they sit out of the dryer too long?

Celebration of the little things in life.

We are so caught up with the go-go-go. Complete that task. Go do that. And to an extent, that’s all well and good. I’m guilty of being that person that is too busy to do anything else, but I’m also incredibly productive. I have friends who are even busier and I’m always in awe of what they do each day.

Recently I was in the car with my mom and this song came on the radio. Yes, it’s a country-twangy song but it never fails to remind me that my to-do lists, while important to accomplish tasks, sometimes need to be put on hold.

My List- Toby Keith

There are so many things in life that “it’s time that I make time for”.

This week with school starting and the homework assignments beginning it reminded me that this year is going to challenging. There are going to be weeks, I’m sure, where I just throw my hands up in the air and yell, “Why aren’t there more hours in the day?!”

But I realized that I need to start celebrating what I do get done in the day instead of feeling guilty for what I don’t accomplish.

We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, so I’m just thankful that I had today to get things done in the first place. So celebrate I will.