I always have great expectations of what I am going to accomplish over the weekend. The list accumulates while I’m working all week. I’m not sure if I just aim too high or if I am just completely incapable of staying focused on each task (slight case of adult ADD). We finally had an open weekend with nothing on the schedule. I had high hopes for tackling my to-do list. I planned on getting a huge donation together for Big Sisters of Rhode Island. I wanted to get all the yard work done. I wanted to clean off the porch, which has seemed to have accumulated a ton of junk. I wanted to get my floors washed with my new Hoover Twin Tank. I wanted to take the kids to the park. I wanted to clean out my pantry. I wanted to fit in a good outdoor run and find time to read my book. I really didn’t think this was too much for a weekend where we had nothing going on. My problem…once I start doing one thing…it leads to something else entirely. Case and point: I wanted to pick up the second floor after our sleepover we hosted with my niece and nephews. That led to me moving the furniture and cleaning every crevice and stripping the boys beds and washing all the bedding…then to organizing toys and ditching a few. This was supposed to be just a quick “tidy up.” This took me the majority of the day.
We did manage to get to the park with all 6 kids. Exhausting in itself. My husband and I never managed to tackle the backyard as planned. Finnegan did however help me weed and trim the front yard garden. The porch got cleaned off. Not a single item was gathered for my donation…this I think is going to take a while. A task that must be completed when the kids go to bed. I fit in a run, but it was on the treadmill. I never picked up my book. I DID get to try out my new Hoover. I have to say, I think I might just be in love. Now, I LOVE my Shark steam mop, but this one is of another caliber. I’ll share my review with you another time.
How well do you manage your to-do lists? Do you set yourself up for disappointment like I do? Do you make smaller lists? Do you have a secret that helps prevent parental ADD? Please share. Well I guess the weekend is not over yet and I still have some time left to get things done. However, for right now I’m about to go make watercolor masterpieces with my boys.
I no longer make lists for housework. Oddly enough, I seem to get more housework done when I don’t have “set” days to do them. For some reason I have more energy doing them when I don’t plan to.
Hope you are enjoying painting today 🙂 It’s a perfect day for it (really any day is perfect for painting).
Parental ADD indeed! It reminds me of the “if you give a mom a muffin” meme that was circulating a little while back. I also get sidetracked very easily. There’s just SO MUCH to do. For real.
One of my rabbis gave me this advice about to-do lists: Whenever you make a list for the day, cut it in half. And then consider cutting it in half again.
Also, sometimes I make a list of what I *did* get done, just to show myself that I accomplished a ton, even if it wasn’t what I intended to accomplish.
Don’t beat yourself up! It’s a classic case of “if you give a mouse a cookie. . . ” and before long you’ve strayed so far from that to-do list that it’s unrecognizable 🙂
if I can accomplish at least one thing a day … it’s a success! (and that’s normally washing dishes)
There is the season of order and then their is the season of parenthood. Just like a I choose my battles with my sons (well son now that the oldest is on his own) I choose my battles with household duties. You are the ideal super busy mom, and if you can get even the smallest tasks done aside from the basics of nurturing your family and working then you are a freaking rock star and don’t you forget it.
peace and love,
Pam
Thanks Pam. You’re wonderful! Just read your post on decluttering books. There are definitely ones I can’t part with. I’ll be boxing up a few this weekend…it’s on the “list”
‘To do’ lists are all well and good, but I think your priority to paint with your son should be #1 on your list! Hope you have fun with your son(s). The housework will still be there when you’re finished painting/playing/enjoying them. After all, they won’t remember all the times you did the housework, but the moments you spent time with them. 🙂