Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Yardwork by Moonlight

Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time to do all the stuff you want to? What do you do about it?

As for myself, I am a continuous list maker, but I am terrible at time management. My lists and the time to complete those items never seem to match up. I have a couple of lists of things I want to do. One is for work, one for home projects, etc. Then I have a planner book that I affectionately refer to as "My Life".

My Life is from South Africa. I get a new one from there every year and my in-laws know that is going to be on my Christmas list. For some reason, the day planners you get in South Africa have so much more interesting stuff in them. My current one is a Financial Freedom planner, which is a day planner, but is full of info and encouragement on getting out of debt and saving. It also has the following: South African public holidays, SA school calendars, phone numbers for universities in SA, lunar phases, eclipses, equinoxes, and solstices, birthstones and appropriate flowers for each month, greetings in eleven of the languages found in SA, and finally gifts for specific wedding anniversaries. Everyone knows that the 50th anniv. is gold and the 75th is diamond, but did you know that your 11th anniv is steel and that the appropriate gift for that year is an appliance? Fascinating.....

But to get back to my point, I make lists. And when I don't get all of the things done on those lists, I get a little anxious about it. Mostly because, I am going to have to reschedule it for some other time and I won't get that satisfaction of crossing it out.

I had "fertilize the lawn" on my list yesterday. Because of my work schedule (going to NY tomorrow) and an upcoming week-long vacation away from home starting on Sunday (when I get home from NY), I couldn't think of when I could reschedule it. And then Daleen reminded of something I had previously committed to doing yesterday evening after work. Meeting with the YAMS which is a great group of our friends. Didn't want to miss that. But, after the meeting when I got home around 8:45, I got that anexiety about my list and fertilizing the lawn. So there, in the cool, bright moonlight, I sprang into action, switched on all my exterior lights, got out my spreader, filled it up with fertilizer, and 40 minutes later...... I took a big sharpie marker and with a big smile and deep sense of satisfaction, put a heavy line across my list....... and then put my list away for the evening.

2 comments:

Daleen said...

I love you but I think you're crazing sometimes. Who does yard work at 9:45?

joanne said...

I love you too and remember that you've been making lists for as long as I can remember - and since I'm your mom, that's your whole life!! My most favorite list included, "getting up, brushing teeth, and eating breakfast" before heading to school at Beulah Elementary.
But, I guess you get it honest because I can't make it through the day without my lists either. Today's also includes yardwork - although I'm still working on tilling, and spreading topsoil before getting to the fertilizer and seeding. Too bad you'll be in NY - where's my Tick when I need him!!?? lol