“Shoo! Don’t jump on there!” I admonished.
The To Do List And The Boots
The knee-high-almost-new-didn’t-fit-me-anymore LL Bean boots leaped upon my To Do List. The neat bullet points that punctuated the day’s tasks furrowed their brows in a “no more” plead. However, the boots were having none of it!
“It’s winter,” the boots implored. “Someone out there in thrift consumerland will appreciate us. It will only take a few minutes to list on Market Place. Think of the extra cash! Think of the space you’ll have when we’re gone!”
They got me with the space angle. Although extra cash was always welcomed, the extra space sold me.
I added “List boots on Market Place” to my already too long To Do List.
Each evening I created a To Do list for the following day. Shifting the uncompleted tasks and awaiting errands from my buzzing brain to a physical paper holding area created calm, a false calm. With unjustified hope and naivety, I thought I’d finish tomorrow what I didn’t finish today.
It never happened. What did happen was that my list grew at an uncontrollable rate.
The To Do List And The Chorus Of Cacti
“Scoot! Don’t spread on that!” I scolded.
The three-for-the-price-of-two holiday Christmas cacti purchase, sprawled onto my To Do List. The frazzled bullet points shook their heads with an “enough is enough” warning. The cacti ignored the slight.
“These tiny plastic containers pinch our roots,” one piped up.
“A terra cotta pot, maybe?” suggested another.
“With a bit of attention, we’ll bloom and thrive,” advised the third.
They got me with the flower angle. Cheery coral blooms brightened winters.
I added “Go to Home Deport to purchase cacti potting soil and terra cotta pot” and “Replant cacti” to my To Do List, adding the first to my “Errand” category and the other to my “Inside Task” category.
Supposedly, sorting the To Do chores into similar groupings saved time. It made sense.
“I’ll drive around and finish all of the ‘pick ups’ and ‘drop offs,” I encouraged myself. “Then I can scratch off a WHOLE section from the To Do’s.
Theoretically, this would have happened. Except once home, once the “Errands” category was checked off (with a flush of satisfaction), a glance into the milk-less fridge would send me out again, or worse would reinstate the just deleted “Errands” category.
No matter how organized, the categorized list increased!
The To Do List And The Trail Camera
“Scram! Don’t focus on that!” I chided.
The digital trail camera I received for Christmas gazed longingly at my To Do List.
The fuming bullet points spewed steam from their ears. Their rage at adding yet another member to their dotted formation evident. The trail camera didn’t get the picture.
“I’ve been patient. I waited under the Christmas tree for weeks. I waited till 2024 arrived. I waited until the weather warmed. I’m tired of waiting!” snapped the camera. “It’s time you read the directions and figured out the technology. Think of all the wildlife photos you’ve missed.”
He got me with the wildlife photos. The lure of capturing candid wildlife photos outweighed the time commitment involved for set up and learning the technology.
I added “Set up trail camera” to the To Do List in red pen.
Evidently, color coding tasks helped prioritize what to do. On my list, red would indicate a “most” as in most time needed or most urgent to finish. Daily tasks, like “Fill the bird feeders” or “Empty the dishwasher” I penned in green. Lastly, “Errands” were noted in purple.
Everyday Epiphany
While categorizing and color coding, a friend unexpectedly stopped by. We visited for a bit. Then she suggested we go to lunch.
I excused myself to change, but before doing so I wadded the To Do List and tossed it in the wastebasket. On a fresh sheet I started a different list- the Done It List. Here I would list the tasks, errands, and needed breaks that I accomplished that day.
When I returned from lunch I would add “Visited with a good friend” in red marker.
There’s only so much I could finish in one day and “Visited with a good friend” was in a category by itself.
Check out my children’s book and reading guide- OPERATION HOPPER.
A Few Choice Words By Anita 
I’ve been making lists for years & they never get done, just carryover until I return from days off or trips, but it does help me accomplish a lot & find relief from worrying I’ll forget something important once it’s written down!! Good to hear from you, Anita!!
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To Do List is only the beginning. I have book lists, movie lists, recipe lists. Come to think of it, I could write a list of my lists!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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