Thankful!

It’s all about Perspective

As we get ready to celebrate the upcoming holiday and prepare to eat until we can’t eat anymore, I wonder has the holiday season lost its true meaning.  Sure, I like all the decorations, gift giving, and presents but is that what the holiday season is truly about.  Like most people, I have a Facebook account (shocking, I know) and I’ve noticed some people making daily posts regarding what they are thankful for each day.  I also know someone that is creating a paper turkey using feathers that the kids or other members of the family write something that they are thankful for on prior to attaching it to the turkey.  What a great idea.  Knowing myself, publicly stating reasons daily for an entire month is not my style and there is no way that I would do so either.  I thought this would be a better approach.  So here it is things that I’m thankful for (in no particular order).

1.       My family.  My husband, daughter, parents, in-laws, and beyond are non-negotiable.  Without my family I wouldn’t be the person that I am.  Even though at times I may seek some quiet time, I wouldn’t want to be without them.

2.       My health.  This is something most take for granted.  I’m thankful for being able to do most of the things that I’d like to do.

3.       My dogs.  Believe it or not, I’m thankful for all 4 of them:  Shila, Takkani, Tinkerbell, and Isabell.  Even though two of them like to get up early morning and make a lot of noise until someone lets them outside, another likes to hang out outside bark and hunt squirrels all day, and the fourth one thinks she is human.  My life is complete with them in the house.  They bring lots of joy with all of the chaos.

4.       Waking up every morning.  This one is a given.  Even when things seem bad, it’s always worse for someone else.  Being able to wake up daily, I get a fresh start on what’s to come.  I have another day to organize and conquer my To Do list.  I’ll admit some days are good and some days are not as good, but as long as I get to keep starting over every day, then I think that is something to be thankful for.

5.       Having a job.  As much as I’m thankful for waking up in the morning, I still am not happy about getting out of bed.  J  It is a necessary evil and can only be put off so long.  And I’m so thankful that I have a job that I enjoy to go to on a daily basis.

If Only There Were 25 Hours in a Day

So much to do, so little time.  How many times have you thought this to yourself or uttered those exact words aloud?  I know that I find myself doing so often.  To try to bring some calm to the storm of my so called life I make a daily To Do list.  During the week I maintain a paper version and a virtual version on my cell phone.  On the weekend, since my time is a bit more flexible, I just keep the list on my phone.  My To Do list is great for helping me determine how to focus my day and prioritize what must be done but one thing my list doesn’t do for me is find the time I need to get it all done.  Now talk about an app…someone needs to create that!  Heck, I’d even pay for that one!

What kinds of things do I keep on my list?  Pretty much anything and everything.  If it needs to be done, it gets jotted down on the list.  If it’s something basic like showering, eating, etc., then I don’t include those since I’ll remember to do them.  In general, my daily list includes work and home-related tasks.  Some items are routine (e.g., make calls, empty the dishwasher, timesheet, etc.) while other items are must do’s for that day (e.g., doctor appointment, meeting, pay bills, etc.).  Do I always include everything that has to be done on my list?  No.  I’ll admit there are some things that I forget or will pop up last minute and they don’t go on the list.  I have found the list is effective when it comes to keeping me on task.  And I’ll admit; I like the sense of accomplishment I get when I check something off the list.  Like today:  Write blog…check!

Maintaining my To Do list has been great for me.  It helps keep me organized and focused.  Having a full time job, being a mom to 1 child and 4 fur kids, and a being fireman’s wife keeps me busy and I’ve discovered that what I plan to do may not always come to fruition.  I’ve realized that my To Do list is my guide on the road to success.  And it’s OK if I manipulate it and push something to the next day.  For it to work, I have to use it the best way it suits me.

I get what I can and needs to be done, happily checking those things off the list, and then have slight disappointment about not getting it all done.  Well, life doesn’t always follow a list and I have to go with the flow too.  Since starting my To Do list, I have accomplished more than before I used one.  So it has been beneficial for me and my life.  Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned (or listed) and I’ve come to accept that.  I also learned that even if my day had 25, 30, or 35 hours in it, I probably still would need more time.  After all, it’s my list and accomplishments.  While I get through my day getting things done or pushing them off to the next day, I’ll be waiting for someone to invent that app!