To Do Lists
Well, I survived yesterday, and am much less scattered today. A solid night's sleep helped for sure. Now it's onto my giant to do list for the week. While I have some of it done already, I've a long way to go before it's completed on Friday. And I seem to be continually adding to it.
Do you ever feel like your to do list is a mile long, and just as you get around the first bend you realize it's now two miles long? Yeah, those are my kind of to do lists. There's always something more to be done. Though often it seems like there's not enough time to get it all done in one swing. I've learned to write out a to do list for the whole week rather than try to tackle everything in one day like I once did. It makes the load a little lighter and allows me to really focus on getting things done the way I actually want them done. It's better than rushing through, and feeling like I didn't get it done right. For example, there was once a day and age where I would attempt to clean the entire house in one day. It meant that the drawers and cupboards often got neglected as I shoved things in them to make sure the stuff was off the counters. Now, I can honestly say most (not all but most) of my drawers and cupboards actually manage to stay semi organized. Wonders never cease. Oh and the bath tub gets cleaned almost weekly instead of when I have a spare second (which often wound up being while I was showering myself). It's all the little things that often get overlooked because we are trying to do a quick fix so that no one will see the real mess. Then when we do go to "deep clean" it takes so much extra time that the basics get forgotten, and we start the vicious cycle all over again. So what can we do to put a stop to said horrid cycle and hopefully regain some sanity in life? How about starting a more reasonable to do list? Or breaking up that really long list into smaller pieces that can be actually completed? Or here's another one, pick an item or two and set a timer. Once the timer goes off then stop and re-evaluate. Last one, ask for help from those around you. I know, shocking idea right? Actually asking for help? Madness, I know. But sometimes we all need a little help. Yes, even me. I know, I know, I'm so awesome it seems like I never need anything (said in complete sarcasm while rolling my eyes). Actually I need help more than I'd like to admit to honestly. Growing up it tended to be a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of way of life. In recent years I've had to learn that that way of thinking is not always correct. We can't do it all on our own no matter how much we hate asking for help. I, for one, hate asking for help because I feel like if I can't do it on my own then I'm not good enough. Yeah, definitely a skewed way of thinking. And so very very very wrong. It's not weakness to ask when you need it. It takes more strength to admit you can't do it than to keep doing it alone.
While this is a lesson I will be learning likely for the rest of my life, I figured someone out there might be able to use it today. With that I say good bye for the day, and good luck on the to do lists!
Do you ever feel like your to do list is a mile long, and just as you get around the first bend you realize it's now two miles long? Yeah, those are my kind of to do lists. There's always something more to be done. Though often it seems like there's not enough time to get it all done in one swing. I've learned to write out a to do list for the whole week rather than try to tackle everything in one day like I once did. It makes the load a little lighter and allows me to really focus on getting things done the way I actually want them done. It's better than rushing through, and feeling like I didn't get it done right. For example, there was once a day and age where I would attempt to clean the entire house in one day. It meant that the drawers and cupboards often got neglected as I shoved things in them to make sure the stuff was off the counters. Now, I can honestly say most (not all but most) of my drawers and cupboards actually manage to stay semi organized. Wonders never cease. Oh and the bath tub gets cleaned almost weekly instead of when I have a spare second (which often wound up being while I was showering myself). It's all the little things that often get overlooked because we are trying to do a quick fix so that no one will see the real mess. Then when we do go to "deep clean" it takes so much extra time that the basics get forgotten, and we start the vicious cycle all over again. So what can we do to put a stop to said horrid cycle and hopefully regain some sanity in life? How about starting a more reasonable to do list? Or breaking up that really long list into smaller pieces that can be actually completed? Or here's another one, pick an item or two and set a timer. Once the timer goes off then stop and re-evaluate. Last one, ask for help from those around you. I know, shocking idea right? Actually asking for help? Madness, I know. But sometimes we all need a little help. Yes, even me. I know, I know, I'm so awesome it seems like I never need anything (said in complete sarcasm while rolling my eyes). Actually I need help more than I'd like to admit to honestly. Growing up it tended to be a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of way of life. In recent years I've had to learn that that way of thinking is not always correct. We can't do it all on our own no matter how much we hate asking for help. I, for one, hate asking for help because I feel like if I can't do it on my own then I'm not good enough. Yeah, definitely a skewed way of thinking. And so very very very wrong. It's not weakness to ask when you need it. It takes more strength to admit you can't do it than to keep doing it alone.
While this is a lesson I will be learning likely for the rest of my life, I figured someone out there might be able to use it today. With that I say good bye for the day, and good luck on the to do lists!
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