There’s no non-embarrassing way to share this, so I’ll just be brave and say it: sometimes I’m shocked over my ability to make a task overly difficult. Of course I have seasons where I don’t struggle with this, but take heart, I do struggle. It happens the most often when I consider the day at large and then decide something feels overwhelming (thus unachievable). Does this happen to you, too?
I once had a friend share she can get through anything if it’s written down on paper. So, I tried a new approach to being more productive…
…and I decided thinking about my to-do list takes way more time (and energy) than actually working through my list. Hmmm, the light bulb is on ;) Take getting through a to-do list, for example. It’s not rocket science (and I’ve been working off a list for decades), but they can easily feel overwhelming knowing my hands are already full. It is a real joy for me to be at home with our two babes, but there’s also truth in knowing it takes effort, patience and creativity to feel accomplished.
The other day I had a long list of quick things I wanted to finish. Sitting still though, I felt like it was a super huge project that would probably take me all day to finish. And the truth is it did take me all day to finish, but I actually enjoyed it because I took all day, and crossing things off made me feel happy. Success.
It felt great to realize I could take a list of things and work through them one by one, with music on and the reassurance of knowing there is no time limit to finish each item written down.
It’s one of my best tips for this season of life, and realizing this accelerated a day at home from great to simply the best.