I am a huge fan of To Do Lists. Just plain lists in general. I like everything organized and to the point. No nonsense or fancy words here. Plain and simple - a straight forward list.
Lists can be wonderful. I use them and like them. Crossing something off that you have accomplished feels pretty good! But - we need to be careful with them. We need to give ourselves some grace when it comes to our to do lists. We need to also recognize the importance of rest.
Let me explain:
I used to have a very hard time resting or relaxing if there was something left on my to do list. I found if there was something that needed to be done, I couldn't fully relax until it was done. I realized there was a big problem with this. I could never accomplish everything that needed to be done. I tried. I stressed myself out. I stressed out my husband. I got annoyed with him when he was able to relax (and when he did) and I couldn't because there was stuff to be done. By "stuff" I mean important stuff....like dusting....or mopping the floors. Hind sight, I was wrong. I've since learnt that there is a time to be productive, there is a time to stare that to do list down and check things off as efficiently as possible. There is also a time to rest. There needs to be a time to rest and relax for a bit. Sometimes you need to put down the unfinished to do list and tell yourself you've done what you needed to today. In the past I had an excuse for this as well. Sounds something like..."Well if I do it today I won't have to do it tomorrow and then I'll be able to really relax." You know what happens....somehow tomorrow comes up with more to dos, and the same thing happens all over again. Tomorrow just never comes. It didn't for me anyways. So if you are like me, do yourself a favour, add rest to your to do list today. When it comes down to it it's actually more important and better for you than freshly mopped floors. It needs to be a priority sometimes.
I've found that when I have a small daily to do list I can better focus and get more done. I try to keep my list to the most important three things - or even the one most important thing that I need to work on that day. If I get those 1-3 things done I'll let the remainder of my "to do's" be optional for that day or they will have to wait for another day. I'm sure there may be a fancier system for this, but I just use my google calendar to keep track. It keeps me organized and I can access it from my phone so it's always with me. I can also just pull the item across to the next day if I don't get it complete. Building in time to rest took some getting used to. It was worth it, because overall I feel more relaxed now than I did before. My stress levels are lower even though my actual to do list hasn't really changed much. I still get the house clean, I still work on special projects, I probably cook more from scratch now than I did before. What's changed is my attitude towards rest and the grace I've extended to myself realizing that time to rest is so important to your overall health. There is a very good reason God modeled rest for us in the Bible. It wasn't because He needed it that He rested on the 7th day. He was setting an example for us, providing us with a lifestyle balance that we need in our lives.
Give yourself permission to do this. Rest.
Once you're rested you'll be better energized and ready to tackle whatever was on your list. As I found out you'll also be nicer to the people around you, less stressed, and somehow you'll still get done what you really need to.
Show yourself some grace, add some rest into your schedule. Slow down and celebrate the things you have accomplished. Tomorrow will come with more things to do, but they can wait until then - guilt free.