There’s a saying that I first heard when I volunteered at the kids’ school many years ago:
Want something done, give it to the most busiest mom and she’d get it done.
It really is true, from my experience being one and being active in the community, the most work that gets accomplished is the one that are indeed actually juggling quite a bit already. Of course there’s the breaking point and all that, but for the most part, things just get done.That said, I rely heavily on my to-do lists that I carry around, stuck on refrigerator, or on my iPhone and check things off as I get it done. For some strange unfathomable reason, God has blessed (read: cursed) me with a photographic memory. I remember visually, and I can’t forget even if I’d like to. I know, huge overhead if you ask me, but it’s a cross I bear grudgingly.
Yesterday, as I assessed the next few weeks, it hit me that am under severe attack. From my own to-do list. These tasks not only have to get done but also have threatening deadlines that are looming larger by the minute. It’s like am stuck in a bad remake of Jurassic Park. The T-rexes are thundering down on me, the raptors are sneaking in behind in biting my behind, and then we have the spitteroons (whatchamacallit?) that are hissing acid on my face as I dart along. Of course there’s a huge ditch in front that am skettering on in dangerous gravity-defying motions. Then again, am noted for living dangerously and all, considering am a brave, albeit occasionally foolhardy, yet resilient mom of three, with each kid sapping different levels of energy as each have different needs to fulfill.
Interestingly, what I’ve noticed is that the more you give, there is more to give. So, I chug along, not once looking behind me coz once I do, I falter in my step ahead, and we surely don’t want a few thousand things flying in different directions just because I skipped and tripped with my eyes focused in the past, now do we?
The last time I published my to-do list was in August 2007. I read it now, and it’s mostly filled with social obligations, which we were steeped in back then. Things are different now, the social obligations are a piece o cake, there’s lots more brain work, strategizing, planning, delegating, plotting and thinking ahead that’s making life interesting and quite the challenge.
Want to know? Here’s a peek at a sample of a partial to-do list.
Now, be nice, say a prayer for me and then go green with envy! Coz honestly, as crazy as it may be, this is one heck of a life I and many other moms in my stage lead no?
tunneling thru' 
Super mom-Super woman indeed!!! :)
Praveen, you do know I love to spin a yarn don’t you? :p
I use google-calendar. I told you I’m a google-freak. May be they have a mom version of the google-calendar as well!!
ah, I use it too. This is more on the precursor lines of getting things sorted before I pop them into the calendar :-)
Enjoyed this!
Thanks Naren, so what did Sheela have to say? :-)
Google calender works for me plus I also have Lotus Notes in my office which pops up reminders. I am totally a slave to technology!!
But, tell us the truth… isn’ this better that just sitting at home watching sitcoms all day?!! We are gluttons for punishment… my husband and I actually organize the holi and diwali parties!!
hehe, well, different ppl thrive differently. Am supposedly the one who gets a party going, but then again, who knows if that’s the new PC way of calling me a ‘clown’ :\
Yep, use calendar for events and schedules :)
I like post-it notes.
I used to, and then there were just too many of them. But totally love ’em, rely on them at work most definitely!
I like the yellow ones.
Phone reminders work for me…the’missed alarm’ feature comes in handy too (in case you snoozed off earlier) :)
lol, yea, and then you’d probably need another reminder to help you remind why you snoozed it off in the first place! :)
Nice personifications of your to do lists. ;-)
At times the “TDLs” get really enormous.
@metlin
Agreed. Post Its are one of the smartest ‘accidental’ discoveries of us homo sapiens :-D
heh, had to jazz it up so it would work for your reading viewing pleasure :p
Yes, the yellow ones in particular.
Awwww! now ‘m feeling truly jealous…
LOL @ grey hairs issue :D
lol, Thank you for getting the point to this post! :D
Enduku navvavu? Nenu wait chestale :p
Hey! Thanks for your comments. I was trying to understand why the comments link got disabled… everything in the settings is okay… any idea? Has it ever happened to you?
Oh, nope. Check the setting on that particular post. Maybe the box (disable comments for this post) got checked by mistake?
Hmm.. strange tho.. it’s blogger, it should work just fine.
Try reposting?
Ok, I got it finally! Comments are now welcome! Please delete this entire dialogue, if you want, coz its really irrelevant to your post!
Good :-)
call and canoodle useless bunch of relatives! ROFL…
PS: no blogging?
hehe, blogging’s like a default like eating, sleeping and such :D
I hope you’ve penciled in more ‘you and hubby’ time as well. I’m already dreading how empty life will be when the kids fly the coop. :(
Well, since we’ve spaced out our kids so much, empty nest isn’t hitting us for another 12 years at least. By then both of us would be tired to even talk to each other :-)
Referring to the fourth para, when you’ve said everything there is, what is left for us to say? :p
Adithya: So you saying I dug a hole myself eh? :p
This post I can so relate to. I have these kinds of to do lists constantly floating in the various chambers of the brain. Sometimes I pen it but mostly rely on the faculties & they haven’t failed me yet. The beauty is that the list is ever growing :) Don’t know what I’d do when suddenly I don’t have these lists anymore. Gut says I’d go crazy!
Yep, you right. It’s the constant changing challenges that we face that adds dimensions and doesn’t bore us. The thing is it isn’t just a to-do, its’ strategy and all these overlap. Choices within each make it even trickier!
heh, once a busybee always one. There will always be something we should find to do :-)
RAds,
A BIG BOW and sastaang namaskaram to you!
Just looking at the things on your to do list made my head reel.
I am still feeling dizzy a good 3 minutes after the read :)
HOw do you do it all?? HOW ? HOW?
HAts off
lol Jyothy, you exaggerate. So many other moms do all this and more too, am still learning. :-)
But to answer your question, I approach it as a KISS philosophy.(Keep it simple stupid.) :D I stress only as much as necessary, I don’t follow huge rules on how things must be done only a certain way, and most importantly I do one day at a time.
Also, I largely attribute it to the fact that we all learn as we go along. Life’s very cool that way :-)
Really Rads,
I admire your abundunt enthusiasm and energy to be busy with so much.
I am very inspired.
God bless.
heh, being busy just keeps me out of trouble!
On a serious note, I could use the blessings. Thank you :-)
Super woman bow to thee. Good luck with all the tasks!
Right@superwoman. Am just a showoff :p
Yep, got a couple done now! :)
I’ll say ‘Jai Ho’ and fall at your feet if I ever meet you! :)
mystic: LOL! ..and I’ll run a thousand miles :D
more you give, there is more to give – This is SO true. In college, I did way more htan I do now.
But then again, you are a mother. And as I said before: Mothers, sigh. LOL :)
Yeah. I imagine it fuels itself, the need to give and stay on top of it. :-)
a busy life is better than a bored one! :)
Yes, though being busy for the sakes of it can get boring. One has to enjoy at least 50% of the chores. :)
Gosh! that’s a lot of things to take care of. I guess one gets better at the juggling game with time. Apart from calendar, I find google Tasks very useful.
Google has Tasks? :|
I think I need MS Project at the rate it’s going!
Good Luck Rads! From what I read about you on your blog, I think you’ll check each and every one of them!;)
LOL, well, I try. It’s a juggling act :-)