Focusing On My Ta Dah’s Not My To Do’s

Anyone who knows me well, will be aware that I love lists. I have always got a list, or 5, on the go. There are lists of things to do, things to buy, things to remember. In fact, I have a whole notebook just for lists, and although it sometimes leaves me feeling a little overwhelmed, I continue to make lists.

My Ever Expanding To Do List

It wasn’t until I sat down the other day with my to do list and suddenly felt my good mood evaporate before my eyes that I realised that I constantly feel like I’m catching up. I never seem to find peace with my list; it never gets any smaller. In fact it can often appear to double in size overnight.

This got me thinking. Why does my list never seem to get any smaller? It’s not because I sit around drinking tea and reading all day. Believe me I would if I could. It’s because at times I find myself getting caught up in the moment and working on things that aren’t on my to do list.

My Ta Dah List

When I sat down to think about it I actually accomplish quite a lot during the course of an average day. It may not have been on my list but it was important to me at the time. Things like spending time with my OH or kids very rarely find there way on to my to do list. But they should be as they are just as important as cleaning the house or running errands.

To prove to myself that I’m not a lazy sod I decided to switch things up a little and wrote out my ta dah’s not my to do’s. Here is my list of things I accomplished last week that weren’t on my initial to do list.

Writing this list made me realise that a lot of the things I do tend to be spontaneous which can be both a blessing and a curse. Looking at my list above I can see that I have been quite reactive in some areas which isn’t always productive and this will be something I will be looking at.

Are you a list writer? Have you ever written a Ta Dah List?

I’d love to hear from you.