Some days it feels like there is so much on your plate. Between all the things you have to do and all the things you want to do, there don’t seem to be enough minutes in the day to do it all. During stressful seasons of life, I’ve been known to write a to-do list that runs the length of an entire sheet of paper. And how much of it did I actually get done? Not much of it!
What if there was a way to make to-do lists more uplifting? There is definitely a time and a place for a traditional to-do list. But every now and then, What if you give yourself a break and skip the to-do list? Instead, look back on what you accomplished that the day and make out a ta-dah list.
How I’m rewriting my to-do list into a ta-dah list
When you think about it, you really do get a lot done in the course of the day. Sometimes what gets done doesn’t seem important because it doesn’t have monetary value or maybe you don’t see immediate results. But spending time with loved ones and taking steps toward your future dreams and goals is just as important as running errands or following up on emails.
Here’s my ta-dah list from last week. Writing it out made me feel much better about my accomplishments.
So why do we let our to-do lists put so much pressure on us?
A to-do list can be overwhelming when you don’t have a lot of available time. Not to mention that there can be a number of things that will interrupt you and derail you from your plan. Urgent emails, phone calls, or sick kids needing to be picked up from school can put a halt on your hopes of a productive day. When it feels like your time is not your own, you can brighten your outlook by thinking about how much you got done, instead of focusing on how much is left to do.
As this Labor Day weekend comes to a close, I am thankful that I spent time connecting with my husband and 4 children. We laughed, played, and (thanks to that extra day off) got a jump on the upcoming week. I’m not saying I’m not a planner. If you’ve seen my printable calendar template or read about my meal planning, you know that I’ve got a bit of Type-A in me. But I still know when it is time to step back and enjoy your surrounding, celebrating your accomplishments no matter how small they may seem.