Those To-dos
by Debra H. Goldstein
My to-do list
is getting shorter. Or maybe, that’s longer. I know, since I finished my forty
days of reading for fun, my life changed. I’m not sure if it is for the better.
For forty
days, I read a book a day (okay, occasionally the book I picked necessitated
two days to finish). After the first week, I found myself enjoying myself. The
critical reading eye I’ve developed since becoming a writer receded and I read
with joy and abandonment. It was fun, mindless, and invigorating.
Alas, like
John Greenleaf Whittier wrote in The
Barefoot Boy, “[a]ll too soon these feet must hide/ in the prison cells of
pride.” Deadlines, promises, and responsibilities crashed forcing me back to reality
– a world of to-do lists.
At first, it
seemed like for every two things I crossed off, a new one popped onto my list. I
could have freaked out, but I didn’t. Besides enjoying my reading, I learned a
major lesson while I was recharging. Unless something was urgent, I let it
slide. And, you know what? The world kept turning on its axis.
That means, with
a little thought and some delegation, I can shrug, and nothing happens. I don’t
That’s a big
thing to accept as a writer and a Type A personality, but since I’ve
consistently prioritized my to-dos, my writing has improved and important
things are getting done in a methodical way. The main reason for the
improvement is that I don’t feel pressured.
Everything of
substance will eventually get done. It better, because in the space of two
weeks my TBR pile has grown beyond what it was before I began my reading binge.
I’m going to need another month off to read. It isn’t at the top of my list
right now, but that’s okay. I’m eager to attack my to-do list. Writing this
blog makes the twelfth item I’ve marked off my list in the past three days. I
see daylight and I’m feeling good about it.
How do you recharge? How do you handle it when all the deadlines and responsibilities of
life seem to crowd in on each other? What gives – a task or you?
