The Tyranny of Lists

“A tyranny of lists engulfed me.  The lists created the illusion that my life was full.”
— Sue Bender, Plain and Simple

My current “To-Do” List

And here is the dark side of list making:  giving the “illusion” that my life is full.  It is perhaps a false sense of accomplishment when tidy check marks indicate the completion of tasks.  Yes my life is full, but full of what — those myriad duties and tasks of running a household which are sometimes not that rewarding or satisfying, but which need to be done whether they are on a list or not.

Here are two lessons I need to keep in mind about these seemingly insignificant tasks on my “To-Do” lists:  First, with the right attitude, I can find the sacramental in even the smallest activity.

“It’s only what we learn while we’re doing what seems to be basically routine that really counts; how to endure, how to produce, how to make life rich at its most mundane moments.” — Joan Chittister

And second, it is important not to lose sight of the Being in all the Doing.  In fact, I need more unscheduled spaces in my life — fewer tasks that steal my attention and energies so that I can spend more time and thought on a few things that I deem important in my life.

“It’s not busyness that destroys us.  It is simply being perpetually busy with things that only scatter rather than deepen us.” — Joan Chittister, Welcome to the Wisdom of the World

A blank “To-Do” list.

What do you think about that!