Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No-List Saturdays


These days who doesn’t have a zillion things to do?

The way I cope is by making lists.  Each morning I think about the day ahead, decide what I want to accomplish, and jot down on a piece of paper my game plan.  The upside is that I get things done.  I send in my taxes early.  I always usually return from the grocery store with all the supplies I need.  I eventually even finish writing books.

The downside is that sometimes I get so caught up in ticking items off my list that my life devolves into an endless loop of tasks.  Like the mythical Sisyphus, I no sooner complete one round of to-dos than I start another.  (Sometimes I think that the ancient Greeks understood more about the human condition than we do.)

Efficient?  Yes.  Thrilling?  Not so much.  I don’t know about you, but for me, merely labeling an item as a “to do” takes some of the joy out of accomplishing it. 

My current solution?  To designate every Saturday as a no-list day.  Last weekend was the first time I ever tried this, but so far, so good.  I spontaneously re-worked a chapter of my novel.  For fun!  After which I grocery shopped.  For fun!  Then I walked on the beach with my mom.  Late that afternoon, the sun streaming through my living-room window, I even fell asleep reading.

When I woke up, I realized I was content to be right where I was.  Doing nothing. 

2 comments:

  1. I totally agree. Life can seem like an all consuming vacuum of endless to-do lists! Learning to step onto the balancing scales of relaxation and responsibility- that's the thing. What I've noticed is that when I do sever myself from the chains of the list monster, and take a break, I return to my assessments of responsibilities with a clearer- thinking head on my shoulders! Thanks Prill, as always for your thoughts.

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  2. Thank you, Eleatta!

    A note to all my readers: This blog, as I think many of you are aware, is simultaneously streamed onto my DEFYING GRAVITY Facebook fan page. (See the sidebar for a link.) Recently, I've received more comments on my blog posts via FB than here. Just know that I'm delighted to hear your feedback anywhere you want to give it. :-)

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