To Do

Those of you who know me personally know that I have many jobs.  I am first and foremost a health and nutrition coach where I work one-on-one with clients to help them find what foods work best for them, and help build healthy eating and lifestyle habits into their lives.  I am writing nutrition articles for a subscription based website that is going to be launched for the New Year, and am a monthly guest blogger on athleticmommies.com.  I will be starting to work on a nutrition guide and meal plan for a personal trainer.  I also tutor elementary students in math and reading, and nanny for two different families.  Add on to that planning an international trip for my boyfriend and me while he is in Mississippi.  Needless to say, I am pretty much juggling multiple knives while riding a unicycle backwards balancing on a tight rope…or at least this is what it feels like at times.    

There are times when I have all of my “things to do” running around in my brain, like second graders let loose for recess, running around and screaming with no order what so ever.  This is majorly overwhelming for me and I start to get nervous and anxious.  I start freaking out that I have too much to do with not enough time to do it.  I stress myself out and think there is no way I will get everything done. 

So, what do I do to help me through the stress and the mess?  I write a “to do” list.  I take five minutes to sit down and write everything down that I need to do.  Then I prioritize the list and start with the most important thing first.  And guess what happens?  I realize that I don’t really have that much to do, and that my list, when written down, looks totally doable. 

When everything I need to do is swimming around in my head it is chaotic and seems like so much more verses being written down on a sticky note or two.  It’s like your room when nothing is put away, laundry is on the ground, bags are scattered, and the bed isn’t made.  It seems like you have a lot of stuff and your actual living space in your room seems small.  But put away your laundry, organize your bags, and make your bed and your bedroom is streamlined and organized.  Now it seems like you have less stuff and much more space in your room.

By organizing my “to do” list and writing it out, I am able to simplify what I have to do and the task at hand is a lot easier.  And it feels so good to cross off something completed from your “to do” list!

The next time you find yourself disgruntled at the amount of things you have to do, write them down on a list. Prioritize them, and then start crossing them off.