At the end of the day

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about "scratching the to do" list. In case you have taken that to heart - which I hope you have! - you might consider replacing it with another list. Oh well... something else to do!

Instead of having a "to do" list, which always seems to get longer even when you can scratch something off, consider having a "done" list. Every day, make a list of your accomplishments. In our culture, we are often valued for our accomplishments, to the point that who we are is devalued. And who we are is our real gift to the world.

But I digress. Sometimes just what we need is to realize for ourselves, not for anyone else, that at the end of the day, we have accomplished a TREMENDOUS amount. It's your list, so what goes on the list, at the end of the day, is yours to decide. My guess is that the "done" list will be much, much longer than the "to do" list. You'll have to decide that for yourself.

For example, if you begin your "done" list at the point you arrived at your office, then you have probably started to record your accomplishments too late in the day. That would be especially true if you were the first in the family to get up, that you were the one who made coffee and went outside to get the paper, that you fed the cat, that you watered the houseplants and cleaned out the dishwasher, took a shower, then made sure everyone else in the house was out of bed, that you set the table for breakfast, cleared the table, got dressed and made sure everyone else was (appropriately) dressed for the day, that you drove the rest of the family to their bus stops, and then found a parking place for your car before you bought your ticket and got on the train, where you read about 10 pages of the novel you carry with you for times like this. (I'm sorry if I have not included enough items in this list of accomplishments.

You get the idea. At the end of the day, give yourself credit for what you have accomplished. The rest of the list will still be there tomorrow, so have a restful night's sleep!

Warmly,
meb