The Power of Listing/My 2011 List

My mother wrote lists for EVERYTHING...grocery shopping, packing for vacations, etc. but her favorite lists were written on small, yellow sticky notes for my sister and me. During holiday breaks or summer vacations, we received a list EVERY DAY. When my eyes opened to greet the sun and the new day, my first thought wasn't of the endlesss possibilities I had in creating the next 24 hours. I immediately thought about "the list." I knew it was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs...stuck to the flat-topped post. What, do you ask, was on this lovely list? CHORES, Honey! Our mother, Red, didn't need a maid as she often told friends and family. She already had two AND they worked basically for free!!! We scrubbed, swept, dusted, mopped, washed and folded. We grocery shopped and ran her errands. There was also usually a bushel basket of some vegetable from our garden in need of  snapping or shelling. Daphne or Daf, my sister, and I knew the drill. If you didn't finish the chores on the list, you didn't go out and socialize. At the end of the week when every possible household chore was completed, Red would still leave "the list"  full of tasks such as relax, enjoy your day or watch a movie. She simply COULD NOT go without writing something for us to do. Infuriating!

 Being the Type A personality that I am, my chores were completed before noon. Daf, on the other hand, waited until 5:30 pm to start her chores as our mother arrived home from work at 6:00 sharp. Guess who helped her every afternoon finish her tasks? Dumb, gullible me! Like leading a lamb to the slaughter! I worked to save her from the fiery flames lapping at her feet! What makes this whole thing more comical is that I did this for her on a DAILY basis. If anything, I guess, this showed my utter adoration and devotion for her.

"The List" was something I loathed. It was the bane of my existence. Daf and I expressed this loathing to our mother. She laughed and spewed the proverbial words..."It's good for you. It builds character." Needless to say, there was much eye rolling and teeth sucking from the peanut gallery when she would say this.

Funny thing is...she was right! It DID, in deed, build character, discipline, organization and good cleaning habits. What hurts the most is I can't tell her and experience the look of satisfaction in her eyes. Believe me, I've spoken with her about this in spirit but it isn't the same. I also need to clear my conscience and admit to being a list maker to the Nth degree. :) Scary, I know! At any given time I have two or three lists going. There are personal goals/dreams for the future in my journal and grocery lists in my pocketbook. I have a binder dedicated especially for Christmas where I list-write to my heart's content....gifts, recipes, master grocery list for the holidays, activities and schedules. A dream come true! There is power in the written word and the plan of an organized list! Mama would be so proud!

And now for my first list of the new year...

My Wishes/Plans for 2011

1.  I plan to live "in the moment" more. I need to stop obsessing about how many things I have to accomplish in a day and enjoy those tiny precious moments that make a life. For example, when my 12 year old wants to take a bike ride or play a game together on the Wii, I need to say..."I would love to" instead of "Not now. I'm busy." When my husband walks in from work and tries to kiss me while I am cooking (picture hands covered in raw chicken juice), I need to wash them quickly, look him in the eyes and PLANT A BIG SMOOCH on him.

2.  I plan to make healthy living a top priority.  I basically do this already by exercising pretty consistently and trying to eat right. My desire is to take these good habits to the next level which means I need to run, hip-hop, lift weights, walk my dog, eat real food MORE and procrastinate, eat junk, make excuses LESS.

3.  I plan to learn something new as often as I can. I am interested in so many things. I need to dedicate time and effort into making this happen. For example, I love to cook. It would be fun to learn how to cook something I've yet  to try or master a basic cooking technique or skill. I can picture myself now chopping an onion like Giada does on Food Network.

4.  I wish for a real home base for our family...a home of our own on this wonderful island we live on. With the economy the way it has been and our circumstances, we haven't been able to make it happen yet...but I'm hopeful.

5.  I wish to do something kind and positive for others EVERY day. I plan to use my gifts of the spirit to do it...writing a note, sharing a smile, saying kind words. Since I am not currently teaching school, I feel like I don't LIVE these gifts enough.

6.  I wish to make a decision about graduate school or my career path. For the past few years, I have been indecisive about what I want to do with my life. I totally love staying-at-home and taking care of my family, but I feel like I could do this and work part-time outside the home. I just don't know WHAT I should do.

7.  I plan to continue my daily time with God through prayer, devotions and Bible reading. I am also excited about continuing the Bible Study I joined in the fall at the church we attend. Starting my day with Him has been the best thing I've ever done. When my alarm goes off at 5:30, I actually spring out of bed. I love the quiet peacefulness where I can get my heart and mind focused on the Father and His will for my life.

8.  I plan to stop cursing. It is a BAD habit. There is nothing more to say.

9.  I wish for more quality time with my husband. Maybe we can find a hobby we can do together or plan a date night once a month. We aren't lacking by any stretch in this area but we can do better.

10. I plan to do less for my son. Don't take this statement the wrong way! Sometimes I feel I don't give my son enough responsibility. He has daily chores but he could do more. Since I stay at home, I have a tendency to do things for him that he should be doing for himself.