I am a person who cannot function without a plan. Spontaneous? Not one bit. Each morning when I get up, either before or after my prayers and my first cup of coffee, I write down my list for the day. I have been doing this for over twenty years and I am not exaggerating. Small yellow pads are what I write my To Do items on, one page per day. If I plan to do it, I write it down so that I won't forget about it. Whenever there is a lull in the action, I consult my list to see what I should be doing next.This includes schoolwork, phone calls that I need to make, appointments, the lunch or dinner menu, laundry, The Rosary, grocery items that we need, and any other errand or household maintenance task that needs to be done. Lately, the girls have put "Blog" on my list which is cute because it turns that into a legitimate activity and not just a great source of fun for me!
The amazing thing is, that once an item has been written down on my list, it has a 99 % chance of being accomplished if not on that day, then on the next. If I don't get something that needs to be done crossed off, I rewrite it onto tomorrow's list. I have really found this to be a successful way of eliminating loose ends in my life. A number of years ago I started to save my daily list in a shoebox in the cabinet directly over where it sits each day by the phone.This is a record of my life. This is "How we spend our days...." I like to be active and I like to get things done. Checking things off makes me feel good about how I am spending my time.To be honest, I occasionally write "read" or "rest" on my list. Most people can figure this out by themselves, but I am happier if I am following a plan.This seems to keep me in what I perceive to be God's Will for me.When I am keeping my eyes on my own "page", some of the distractions and time zappers that would keep me from accomplishing my goals are eliminated. I have told the kids that at my funeral I would like them to bring my lists for the day. That is my life's work and with God's help, I am trying to do it well.
