Tell me you do this, too. The checklist. The checkboxes. The “To Do List”. When I feel overwhelmed (like today) with all I have to do (like everyday), I make a list. Because I derive intense satisfaction from crossing things off the list. Or X’ing out the boxes. Tell me you make boxes. You should make boxes. Sometimes I make boxes for things I have already done so I can put an X in the box. I learned about the boxes as an intern. You need boxes.
And post-it notes. I’m really incredibly addicted to post-it notes. Because they are sticky and colorful and cute. And moveable. I move the “To Do List” from one page in the little notebook to the next. I have a system. Don’t mess me up…The “To Do List” that has longer standing items like the manuscript to write, the follow up with the investment guy, the reading for the Leadership program…that goes on the notebook page; but the bathroom cleaning, the gift to purchase, and the prescription to pick up…that goes on a post-it note. Cause it can get done today. And I can cross it off. And throw out the sticky note when everything is successfully crossed off or X’d out. And then I have success!
We need these little victories in our days. We need the baby wins, cause there is so much in life that is the big kid loss….the deadline we missed, the birthday we failed to send a card for, the home improvement project we just never got around to. The friend we let down. The spouse we upset. Ugh!
I spend a good deal of my life running around and trying to accomplish just one more thing. And Scott reminds me, “Oh look, another day…when you bit off more than you could chew.” Seems to be a pattern around here. Me always trying to do One. More. Thing. One more cross off the list. One more X. But I am slowly, oh so slowly, learning that sometimes it’s better to not cross it off because it’s done, but to cross it off because it’s not that important. That at the end of the day, the story I read with Ben, the moment I spent with Scott or with Allie, the time I spent belly laughing with Jack, is more important than the clean bathroom, fold laundry, put toys away. I need To Do Lists. And check boxes. I need to feel accomplished. And I need to let it go. I ask myself, “What harm will come if I don’t …wipe off counter, reply to email, return call, mop floor?” The answer is almost always….”No Harm. Forget about it.”
We need to give ourselves a little grace. To give each other a little grace. And to place X’s when we decide things are done…or just not that important.
Disclaimer: My viewpoints are not necessarily reflective of my employer, or any local, regional or national organization that I belong to. As a matter of fact, I pretty much just speak for myself. Please keep that in mind.
