My To Do List

To Do lists.

You either love them or hate them.

I love them when I am crossing things off - nothing like that sense of accomplishment, regardless of how mundane the items.

I will admit though that I hate to make to do lists.

Creating lists require me to be organized in my thoughts.....to know what it is I want to accomplish.

The sheer idea of thinking of all the mundane things that need to get done - clean the refrigerator, sort the mail, stop at the dry cleaner, return x,y, & Z to the store...etc, etc, etc - drives me crazy.

Life is too mundane to begin with.  Why would I want to make a list outlining the numerous mundane things I have to do?

Nope....all the fantastic feeling of accomplishment crossing things off the "to do" list doesn't outweigh the cons of completing a "to do" list for me.

Unless....

Unless it is something larger than the mundane tasks.

Unless....

Unless it is about living life.

Unless....

Unless it is about finding joy in those mundane parts of life.

I am a follower of the blog and website Tiny Budda  and am inspired daily by quotes, words of wisdom, various posts about life in general.

This week I came across a post entitled "10 Simple Ways to Enjoy Life's Journey More."

Now here was a "to do" list I could get my arms around, that I could get excited about, that I looked forward to accomplishing.

Simple things like - 
Take a discovery walk.   Today, while I was lying on the couch with my daughter, just enjoying a quiet moment together, I was taken aback by the sun streaming through our front window with the orange red burnt leaves blowing in the wind.  This moment reminded of my "Enjoy Life's Journey To Do List",  so I asked Rachel to join me on a walk around the neighborhood.  I usually run along the route we took....in the shadowy sun-rising morning hour....and never really took time to enjoy my neighbors gardens, the fall decorations, etc.  What a joy to walk alongside my bubbly 9 year old as she chatted about life as a 9 year old....with her hand in mine.  Wonderful.

Take lessons or classes  My children certainly do this - Rachel takes cello , her brother attends circus camps, all the kids have attended various camps/lessons for sports and music.  Seems so simple to sign them up.  At what point did I decide that I no longer needed to learn new things?  Guess what.  That is ending this week.  I've decided to sign up for a Rock Climbing class.  And I'm also toying with the idea of learning how to play another instrument in addition to those piano lessons I took as a child ...maybe the guitar or violin.  And a language would be fun....perhaps Italian so I can dream about an exotic vacation in the far, far, far-off future?  

Keep a gratitude journal  Such an easy thing to do but something I had never done until a friend suggested it several years ago.  What a difference it made in my outlook.  At first, I really had to think about my day and what I could be grateful for.  But a few days in, I began to notice myself showing gratitude throughout the day....as those little things we so very often overlook became so evident.  Talk about changing your mindset.  This was a game changer for me.....until I became to comfortable and stopped writing them down.  And then I had a difficult situation thrown in my lap that lead to a very tough few months - a time when I probably needed a gratitude journal more than ever - but it was something that was completely forgotten about.     Today I began to take note again....and it was the little things like the sun streaming in the window, the squeeze of my daughter's hand in mine, a little baby overjoyed with glee when a dog appeared at the park during our walk.  Simple things....things we overlook.....and when we take notice....have the ability to change our outlook.

And my favorite on the list?
Bike more.  OK, twist my arm!

My least favorite on the list?
Create a detailed plan for your day.  Oh no!  Not create a "to do list" within my no to do list list??  Further inspection does not indicate creating a list of the mundane things you need to get done but to make sure that you include those really amazing experiences you want to enjoy so those mundane items don't take over.  OK,....I can accept this one.

My plan is to check off all the items on this list.....over and over again.  This isn't a list that will get crumpled up and thrown away when it is completed.  No way.  This is a list that will continue to tell my life's story.  To help me enjoy the journey.  Yes, there will still be all those mundane things in life that have to be done, but in the end, it is the list of how I enjoyed my life that will matter.

Who wants to join me??

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss

December 31st....the last day of 2011.

It has been a long year - a year filled with highs and lows.  Something I suspect we all have.

That quote in the title summarizes a lot of what I have been feeling this year.  Sadness for a lot of wonderful experiences that ended - adventures with friends, a relationship, training for races, watching my children move on in life, friends moving to new cities, milestones coming and going ....but all in all, a ton of  wonderful memories to embrace!

We all have accomplishments - some of those may just have been making it through a particular day and others may have been completing a challenge we never thought we were capable of.   Some accomplishments were filled with sadness and regret....others with joy and triumph.

Regardless, we survived each high and each low.

As I reflect back upon the roller coaster ride I endured this year,  each one of those ups, downs, twists and turns were not accomplished alone.  I was surrounded by love and support from old and new friends - many made through my involvement with LIVESTRONG, others through random meetings (again, I truly believe things in life happen for a reason), and many others virtual strangers.

I appreciate each and everyone of you - my blog readers, my #plankaday partners, my running friends, my LIVESTRONG friends, my partners in crime (you know who you are), those that have known me since grade school (and unfortunately have the pictures to prove it), those I work with, and those that only know me from social media.  Without each of you, I would not have survived the lowest lows in life or have the successes I was blessed with this year.

I welcome 2012 with open arms....and although I will continue running for LIVESTRONG, I am considering 2012 as the Year of the Bike.  Yes, a new challenge....and one that scares the daylights out of me.  But, my focus will be in cycling....with a few half marathons thrown in for cross-training.  More to come! 

 

As I scoured my list of favorite quotes, I couldn't find just one that summarized how I am feeling as a new page begins at midnight.  So, I am sharing several....as my parting comments for 2012.

And one last comment from Barb for 2012 ~

....instead of celebrating tonight at midnight, consider celebrating each and every midnight....reflect upon the successes/fails of each day, have gratitude and create a goal/resolution for the new day to come!  CELEBRATE LIFE!!

“Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.” -Seneca

"The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment." -Pema Chodron

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." -Charles Swindoll

"If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us." -Daisaku Ikeda

"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." ~John Wooden

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant." -Robert Louis Stevenson

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Your outlook on life is a direct reflection on how much you like yourself." -Lululemon

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” -Pericles

What is Holding Us Back.

 

 

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." 

 

This quote was shared by a new friend I made this year through my participation in Team LIVESTRONG.

 

How very true this is for all of us.  How often we focus on what we need to improve, what we lack – or perceive we lack, what others have made us feel about ourselves.

 

I am certain if we all took time to reflect on that quote as it applies to us individually, we could all come up with a long list of what we think we are NOT and those we wish we were.

 

My wish list….

 

• I wish I was more organized
• I wish I was more of a planner
• I wish I was a faster runner
• I wish I was physically stronger
• I wish I didn't always speak my mind so freely
• I wish I was more ambitious
• I wish I was a better mom
• I wish I was a better friend
• I wish I was a better sister
• I wish I was less frazzled.

 

The list could go on and on and on.

 

Wow….a lot of negativity on that list.….and I am sure I'm being hard on myself but aren't we all?  These "wishes" have held me back at times….but why?  Some of them are just fruitless to ever attempt – for example, being organized.  I have tried….and I have come to the conclusion that some people are very organized and others are not.  I, unfortunately, fall into that later category.  However, as I reflect, I realize that at some point, I was organized…..somehow over the years, with each child, with each additional responsibility on my plate, I have become less organized and definitely without a doubt more frazzled.  But, somehow it all gets done in the end….perhaps not the way I wish my super organized and with-it friends do it….but it gets done.

 

Perhaps that makes me more flexible, more of a free spirit?  Hmmm….perhaps that explains the lack of a planning gene in me.   Some may beg to differ that I don't plan – for goodness sake I just completed a year of races and travel without a hitch – but when I do have plans, they are very loose plans.  Again….I don't like a rigid schedule….I like flexibility….and I love it even more when someone is willing to make all the plans.  Just tell me when and where I need to be! 

 

A great recent example that would drive many of my friends crazy.  On my recent trip to NYC, I really didn't have an agenda with the exception of going to the Marathon Expo, running the marathon, and the Team LIVESTRONG event afterwards.  My son and I had a list of sights and experiences we wanted in NYC, but none were on a schedule….none were set in stone….and because of this, some were checked off, others were not, and still others were added.   No set plan?  No worries….we still managed to have fun and because that's the way I roll, we were never stressed about our schedule.  In one instance, my son picked a museum he wanted to tour but when we arrived, it was closed.  What to do now? Well, we just jumped in a cab and quickly moved on to the next item on our list.  No worries!  And no regrets!

 

I suppose every mom, dad, friend, sister, brother,  husband, and wife feels they could do better for the other party of their relationship.    But, in the eyes of the recipient of those relationships, do they really view us as terrible moms (well let's not survey the teens), dads, friends, sisters, brothers, husbands or wives?  Perhaps in the moment, some of them do, but when they reflect back on their lives, will our "terrible" status – especially to our children – really have been that awful?  Or would it have assisted in developing independent, caring successful members of society?  I hope so!  Sure, on a personal level,  my being stretched too thin has definitely created some opportunities which under different circumstances I would have handled differently.  I cannot necessarily change my circumstances, but I can adjust my standards…..and accept them.

 

How should I view myself?

• Independent
• Caring
• Full of life
• Willing to stand for my convictions
• Devil's advocate
• Flexible and adaptable
• Willing to take on challenges

 

Had you told me 5 years ago I would raise over $30,000 for LIVESTRONG, become an advocate and mentor for other LIVESTRONG participants, run marathons and half marathons (or even a 5K for that matter), take up cycling, write a blog and share my innermost thoughts with strangers…..I would have most definitely told you that you were crazy.

 

Think back over the past few years…..I'm sure we have all accomplished activities and taken risks we never would have thought we would ever do in a million years.   We certainly didn't accomplish these goals because of our list of shortcomings. 

 

Now, pat yourselves on the back for a job well-done….a life lived fully.  And let's all vow to start defining ourselves by our ABILITIES….not what we think we CANNOT do..…and KEEP living life fully!