Have you ever had so much to do that you can’t seem to get anything done?
Do you make lists, hoping that you’ll keep yourself on track and get all the really important things crossed off?
Have you ever added the things that you actually did do to the bottom of that list, just so you could cross something off the darned thing?
Yeah, me too.
I love lists. They help me get my thoughts in order and remember what I need to buy or do. Whenever I can cross things off of my lists, I feel as if I actually did accomplish something. I make wonderful lists. I employ every tool at my disposal: White boards, “to-do” sticky pads, apps on my smartphone, even my electronic calendar. In fact, sometimes I spend more time on my lists than I do on the tasks the list contains.
Yesterday, I had so much I had to accomplish, it was overwhelming. My husband, Jim, happily on his way out of the house to head to work, asked me if I’d be able to get to it all those tasks in only one day.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “I have a list.”
Later that evening, he came home to find me furiously at work, still sitting in front of my computer. He kissed me gently on the cheek and asked, “Were you able to finish your list?”
I looked up, blinked a few times, and then replied, “My list? You mean my 3-tab Excel spreadsheet with conditional formatting, pivot tables, and macros that turn the projects green when I get them done?”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“It’s a really pretty list…”
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