The "To Do" List

I'm a list maker. There is an amazing sense of accomplishment in marking through a finished task. So, tonight I sat down and started a new list. Goals. Tasks. Serious "to do's", and things necessary to survival (buying coffee).

The #1 on my list.... organize my work desk. I sat there looking at that #1. Overwhelmed! My desk has gotten out of hand. My house has gotten out of hand! I'm no neat freak, but I do like everything in its place. I used to be better at that, but lately it seems as if I'm about three months behind the world on existing in the human race! So, first list thrown away.

Now, #1 make a huge pot of coffee so I can stand to think about #2!
#2 Consider what I want to write for #3.
#3 Organize my desk!

See the vicious cycle I put myself through? Little gets accomplished in a state of chaos. So, I'm beginning to harness order.

Now, let's try again.
#3 Write in the blog about making lists.  (Look how much I'm accomplishing now!)
#4 File everything on the right side of my desk. No... let's go with the left. Start small and feel some sense of accomplishment and not be stuck in my office until next Tuesday!

Over the summer I hope to work on and complete a women's devotional book to accompany the novel Friday Lunch. We shall see. It's going to be about order. Without order, life has little meaning and little fun.

I push myself way too hard and have very little fun. I realized this today when my son was remembering last summer's horror of being covered in fire ant bites. He then says so sweetly, "I really liked laying in bed with those ant bites on me." I was perplexed and asked, "Why did you like it?" He leaned over, hugged me and said, because you spent the whole day sitting here with me and we had so much fun together."

Let me just raise my hand to nominate myself for the terrible mother award! Busy isn't acceptable when it isolates you from the joys in your life. The joy in my life happens to be the four little smiling faces that surround my table. In neglecting fun with them I simply neglect myself. But, how do I spend more time with them when I'm already swamped? Order in the chaos. It's all about the choices we make. Little choices that spiral our days in different directions, and lately I never seem to make the choices that include fun.

Tomorrow is a new day in my house.
#5 Schedule time in to play..... really play and be silly for at least an hour!
#6 Get rid of 10 things in my house that I don't use.
#7 Work on book #2.
#8 Schedule in exercise twice a day. (that's right... twice! I'm finally getting serious).
#9 Recycle everything that can be recycled!
#10 Start my real to do list and stick to it until I can make a dent in the chaos I call life!

Are you a list maker? Is there an area of your life you would like to have in better order?