To-Do List Addiction

I have had a bit of a hard time lately writing a blog and I'll tell ya why. My life is busy. From feeding and bathing kids, to taking one to school, socializing another, wiping noses, changing diapers, doing laundry, dishes, vacuuming, wiping a nose again, disinfecting the house, administering medicines at the proper times, feeding the dog, prepping dinner, reloading the dishwasher, back to laundry, making beds, picking up the 900 crayons for the 10th time. Oh my gosh I could go on. So my brain isn't necessarily in a state of rest to sit down and write. And that's not necessarily a bad thing either.

It seems to me when I am sitting here blogging I just let my fingers do the typing and everything in my brain just kind of spills out. I'm not sure where this specific post is going, or if I'll even be lucky enough for it to have a point, but know this, I have had some coffee. Item #1 checked off my to-do list for today.

Now that we're talking about to-do lists, let's think about these things that we create to encourage ourselves to be more productive during the day. I think that when I've started my day off with a to-do list I've already failed. Because I'll never achieve this list. Why? Because I have children, Kara, 5, and Mason, 1. These two alone have the power to hinder any progress I foresee in my day. This isn't a bad thing. HAHAHA. But it is reality. To-do lists are great when you are at an office and have a list of items to be achieved before a certain deadline. These lists are also good when mapping out an errand run, or even planning an event.

Yesterday I was talking to a friend and she informed me that she is a list maker. I realized at that moment I, too, am a list maker. I have piles of notebooks, hoards of pens, paper clips, sticky notes, and a method that would stump even the brightest secretarial student in filing. :) I just made another FREAKING LIST! HELP!

Anyway, I am a list maker. I make a list of our bills, household to-dos (a.k.a. Honey Do List), and errands. I also have fallen victim to the Daily Goal To-Do list. This is the ultimate failure of to-dos. I'm starting to hear Ta Dah in my head. hmmm

Anyways, when I set up a daily list and I don't even get one thing marked off that list I sit and think about what I didn't do that day, instead of planning for tomorrow. And then that dumb quote pops into my head "Why put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today." I'd like to meet this person. I can almost guarantee this person never had kids.

I mean I even started this post off with a list! There is something wrong with me. :) Lists are a good thing. But how obsessive can one be about making lists? Subconsciously I make lists. I even tend to bog my mind down at night making a list for the next day. WHERE DOES IT END!!!?!?!

Then there's the Honey Do List I mentioned a second ago. Not only do we, as moms and wives, make lists for ourselves, we've branched out. We've expanded our list-making horizons to our spouses. We've sucked them into our obsession of creating a tangible, evidential hand held list that is proof we have aspirations to accomplish something, anything really. Just to have that one or more items marked off the list. To say to ourselves, "Look what I did today!!" For that proud moment of doing something was needed and necessary. But why? Why do we need this proof of productivity? Why do I make these lists that disappoint time after time?

Can't I just be confident in my day spent with my children? I mean, after all, if we're all breathing and alive by bedtime I consider the day a success. :) Perhaps I'll try a new list. Maybe when I write my list for the day I'll include things like "playing with my kids," or "read to my kids," or "do a craft with my kids." These I think are things that are completely achievable. And then at the end of the day when I check my "to-do list" I'll see all the things marked off.

Peace.