The Simple Magic of a To-Do List

I spent my time leisurely on Saturday doing fun activities. Sunday morning my thoughts felt scattered. I was having some (mild) panic about how much I had to get done. Cleaning, weekly preparations, laundry, grocery shopping, yard work (it was a beautiful day!), practicing, writing my blog… basically, a lot of stuff. To add to the mix, some things required multiple parts. For example, I had some vacuuming to do. However, I couldn’t knock that off the list until I first cleaned out the vacuum cleaner. It had gotten gummed up with baking soda after an unfortunate mishap on the rug. In addition to all the tasks, I was also desperate to go for a swim to reset.

Though it was tempting to avoid everything and enjoy the sunshine, I knew my future self would regret that decision. Instead, I spent a few moments over breakfast making a to-do list. Like magic, my breathing slowed down and the morning felt manageable again. Even better, I didn’t have to think about what I was doing. I simply had to consult the list and see what was next, or available, to do in that moment. As I blogged in June, there’s something about “Lists and Why We Love Them.”

The to-do list grew over the day, some things crossed off, others added, and a few tasks getting stars as something critical to finish as time was running short. Even though I failed to accomplish one of the more critical tasks, I completed most of the list. This also included a few small, annoying tasks such as tightening a loose pan handle. Another bonus was the satisfaction of seeing the list and the crossed off items. I even added a few things to the list just so I could cross them off. It’s funny why that feels so satisfying.

All in all, it was a good reminder of how something as simple as a list, scratched out on a scrap of paper, can result in so much clarity. I don’t make a list every weekend, but I’m thinking of resurrecting the practice after Sunday’s success! It also helped me to break down some of the more miserable tasks, aka cleaning out the gummed up vacuum cleaner, into smaller steps I could handle. Otherwise, I easily could have let that one go for another two months.