rethinking my to-do list

For better or worse, I have lived by a to-do list for the past 5+ years. My list is long and evolves very slowly. I have daily items, one time items and then longer term items all crowding my list. While I try to remember to make sure some of the one time and long term items get done first, I’ve had things like “eye doctor” on the list for 9 months now. Sooner or later I finish up a project and do a little jump for joy that something is finally of the list, but new items are added faster than items are removed.

The list does help me feel like I am getting things done and certainly helps me remember what needs to get done. The list also helps me figure out how best to balance my time. I try to be realistic about how long various items will take, but there seems to bever be enough time to get everything done. Most of the time I manage my distractions well, but I do find myself sucked into a bad tv show or lost online.

More and more these days, however, I realize that my to-do list seriously lacks items of personal connection … to much getting things done and not enough living, honestly. My ever growing to-do list tells me that I don’t have time to stop and chat with neighbors or to relax over an extended lunch with a friend, and I don’t like that. I don’t want to add “connect with others” as an item to the list that gets checked off when “complete”. I don’t like when I’m doing something with the girls but my mind is really on HOW MUCH I NEED TO GET DONE in order to satisfy my list.

I’ve been dropping some of the projects that don’t bring me satisfaction. Maybe one day when other projects are complete, I’ll get back to them. Or by then, I might have other things to fill my time. As I move forward, I’m going to be careful to not create too many new projects and to not start new ones until I’ve finished up some and freed up a bit of time.

Ironically, this NaBloPoMo post truly is another item that fills up my to-do list. An item that I can now cross off for today.

lego sorting project - 21 oct 2012