Every-thing fills my mind.

And, my to-do list.  The mental one (on repeat) and the one that actually makes it pen to paper.  Clean out kid’s closets.  Pay bills.  Write a blog post.  Respond to e-mail.  Exercise (because, if I don’t list it, I might not live it).  Make doctors appointments.  Make Bed.  Make lunch.  Make a grocery list.  Making lists makes my lists.

Do you know this every-thing?

The funny thing is . . .

As much as every-thing swirls and I try to secure the suckers swarming my brain,  straining to squeeze them from a “to” to a “do”, I must admit . . .

I am a one thing.

Every-thing fills my mind.

And, my to-do list. The mental one (on repeat) and the one that actually makes it pen to paper. Clean out kid’s closets. Pay bills. Write a blog post. Respond to e-mail. Exercise (because, if I don’t list it, I might not live it). Make doctors appointments. Make Bed. Make lunch. Make a grocery list. Making lists makes my lists.

Do you know this every-thing?

The funny thing is . . .

As much as every-thing swirls and I try to secure the suckers swarming my brain, straining to squeeze them from a “to” to a “do”, I must admit . . .

I am a one thing.
I get things done when I focus on one thing.

I like to think I’m not so singular when it comes to striking a line through every-thing.  Every-thing I “have” to get done, want to get done or others expect me to complete.  I cook and call at the same time.  I tackle ten tabs at a time.  I console and correct two, sometimes four, at a time.  Yet, I’m still not getting every-thing done.  The only thing I seem to get is – frustrated.

Yesterday, I walked by the desk in our kitchen, which is always a mess.  And by always, I mean ALWAYS.  It’s the first thing you see as you walk in.  Ughh.  I fantasize about nothing being on it, but the computer (every-thing else in drawers, folders, bins or binders).  But, instead it just piles up.  I pile to put away. My kids pile on my piles and then run away. (Hi my name is Trina and I’m a compulsive piler).

Anyways, as I glared at the mess and the mess mocked me.  I started thinking about the closets that have to be cleaned out (like at least 6), the floor that needed to be mopped, the chore charts neededing to be hung up and implemented (again).  I tried to quiet the critical chatter and in that space I had a thought… I thought what if today, I just did one thing.  One swarming sucker to strike out of my brain.

And, so I decided to be a one-thing mom.

It’s usually the mom “tos” and “dos” that really weigh me down.  Guilting me sometimes all the way to gutted.

So yesterday, I looked at this doomed desk and said, “not today.”  And, maybe not even tomorrow.  We will have to push the pop phone over if we want to use the computer and dig through the piles of papers to find the permission slip, and I’ll promise myself that, probably, tomorrow this desk will be my one-thing.

And, when that desk is done, then I’ll come to terms with what closet to clean out.  Not all of them at once, unless at once I find a big block of time and enough energy to empty them all out.  Otherwise, I’ll be wise in which one I choose to tackle first and not linger over which will be last.

I’ve always liked getting every-thing done all at once.  One day.  One weekend.  One block of time.  Because, when the whole house is cleaned you can sit and enjoy it.  When the closets are cleaned out, everyone will be (and stay) organized.  When the groceries are bought, the fridge will be full.

But, here is the truth I’ve been trading for a lie, “Every-thing” will never be done, because there will always be one more thing.”  And, the things that just got done, will get un-done twice as fast.

The clean floors will get walked on within minutes.  The food will be devoured before the week is up.  The closets will end up with smelly clothes hidden behind the hamper, instead of in it.

Yesterday, I chose chore charts.  It seems easy enough, but I had been avoiding it.  Avoiding it, because it takes more then gold washi tape.  It takes encouragement and enforcement.  I stuck up the paper and we all stuck to it.

Today, let me encourage you to not worry about the every-thing, but to just find and focus on the one thing.

Moms and everyones.

A one time wonder every day.

 

PS : If you liked my mess desk, you may like a series I used to do called Monday Mess.