To-Do Lists 



Up With The Chickens (Picture is of my son's families chickens.  I call them my grandchickens.  Staci keeps a blog on them called The Happy Henhouse.  You can visit that at: http://thehappyhenhouse.blogspot.com )

Well it is 6:00 in the morning and as usual my day is starting early.  I'm a morning person.  I get more done in the early AM than the rest of the day.  I'm also more creative in the early morning.  Guess my mind is as fresh as it is going to get then.  Now that I don't have to work, you would think I would sleep in, but that has never been the case.  No matter what time I go to bed at night, I still wake early.  Once my mind is active, I can no longer sleep.

I start my day with putting together my to-do list.  I found long ago that it helps me get things accomplished, but it also helps me get more done and at my age remember what needs to be done.  I'm now a lists person.  I have a grocery list always on my desk along with my to-do list.  My calendar is full of day-to-day things. I have started my Christmas gift list. My Christmas shopping is always done by Thanksgiving.  I have never been a procrastinator and am organized to a fault.  I thought upon retirement, I'd be a little less organized, but God made it a big part of me and so I embrace it as part of who I am.  It makes life simpler and less stressful.  I do not let the lists run my life though.  I love  new experiences and surprises.  Should a good opportunity arise to do something in the moment, I'll drop the list and do the fun, spontaneous or meaningful experience.  With more time on my hands, I find it helps fill the time.  Although, when I worked full time and had 6 foster kids in my home, I found it a necessary part of my day to help set priorities and meet all the demands of a day.  It works for me no matter what my day is like.  One special note though is that I always leave the things I hate to do to the last.  That has stayed constant.  That makes me human.

I laugh with my mom about getting things done because we both say "maybe we will do it, maybe we won't".  It is not really all that important that I get my living room vacuumed and it can wait until tomorrow.  But once it is on my list it will get done.  Maybe tomorrow, but it will get crossed off my list.  I don't know that this will work for everyone, but it sure works for me.

It is OK to be a procrastinator and unorganized.  I sure know a lot of people that are.  The fact that we are all different is what makes life more interesting.  What are you?