Stop Making To-Do Lists

Let me introduce you to my “Ta-Da!” Lists.

Way back in 2010, I was a stay-at-home mom with three little kids. No. really little kids. My oldest had not yet turned four.

My husband was in law school and working part-time, I was caring for the children and our home while recovering from my third c-section.

Anyone who has been a full-time caregiver like this can tell you this: You can spend all freaking day doing stuff and at the end of the long, exhausting, confusing day… it looks like you did nothing at all.

Your partner comes home and politely ignores the laundry still piled in the baskets in the living room, waiting to be folded. Or the fact that dinner is a frozen lasagna once again. Or, maybe, your partner isn’t politely ignoring these things and gently asks, “So… what did you do all day?”

And you know you did stuff. You did so much stuff. You’re exhausted, your back aches, you don’t want anybody to touch you for any reason, and yet you cannot think of a single thing you did.

You probably made a to-do list. A dozen things that your optimistic brain said needed to be done today.

But here, an hour after the toddler’s bedtime, as your partner reheats lasagna in the microwave, you realize you only crossed one or two things off that list.

Oh wow, have I got a solution for you!