efficiency

“Make sure to include yourself in the list of things you need to take care of this week.” – unknown

During this last week when the kids had a week off from school, six-year-old Mr. D repeatedly asked at bedtime what we were doing the next day. I discovered that he felt much more grounded when we made a list. It worked even better when he wrote it himself.

I’m a list person so I totally relate to D’s love of lists.

Lists help me prioritize what I need to do first.
There’s nothing like a list to keep me going when my motivation flags.
Writing a list reminds me of James Clear’s adage, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
I get a great deal of satisfaction when I cross an item off my list.
When I don’t get something do, it prompts me to consider whether it’s simply that I don’t have the time or I have simple underlying resistance that I need to address.

Nothing like a list to bring things into focus. Mr. D included “Chillax” on his list. It’s a good reminder to prioritize downtime even on days when the list is long.

(featured photo from Pexels and quote from Enlightened Mind 622 – Make Sure to Include Yourself)

You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

I host the How to Share podcast, a podcast celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing.

I also co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, an author, creator and storytelling podcast with the amazing Vicki Atkinson.

“It’s not the heavy load that breaks you, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

I needed to go downstairs to empty out the recycling bin. While I was down there, I thought I’d bring up some sodas from the store room. Then I remembered that my friend Eric was coming for dinner and I grabbed cans of the seltzer water he likes too. Before I even got to the door of the storage room, I dropped one of the cans. I picked it up, dropped it again and this time when I picked it up, it had been punctured. Nevertheless, I still continued to carry it upstairs, balancing 6 cans and a recycle bin dripping seltzer water the whole way.

<Sigh> The things I do for efficiency. 😊

This seems to be a lesson that I have to learn again and again. I think it’s a tangible reminder when I’m carrying too much.

When I slow down and do things well, I feel the simple joy of completing each task well. When I overload myself, all I feel is the sensation of juggling balance.

And then I drop one thing and instead of noticing it as a cue to empty my hands, I focus on just the thing I dropped.

Finally when I’ve persisted in bumbling my way through, I see the ridiculousness of it all and start to laugh. Humor makes sopping up seltzer water more bearable as I shake my head in wonder at my stubbornness.

I know it’s a human affliction to believe that we can contort ourselves in all sorts of shapes in order to juggle it all. And then we are reminded to put the load down, ask for help, or not do it all at once. If we listen, we are rewarded with the pleasure of doing one thing well. If we don’t, we get to laugh at our humanity while we clean up the mess.

(featured photo from Pexels)

Tag: efficiency

Making a List and Checking It Twice