New Year's Resolutions

One of my favorite children’s stories is about a toad who has much to do and decides to make a list so he can remember it all.  One of the things on his list is to go see his friend, which he does.  While they are together, the toad’s list blows away.  His friend suggests that they chase after the list, but the toad says he cannot do that, as it is not on his list to do.  So he sits and does nothing until bedtime.  He remembers that his list contained the note to go to bed, so he writes that in the sand, then crosses it out and goes to bed.

I am much like the toad, wanting a list to help me remember everything I want/need to do.  I thrive on having everything written down.  Sometimes I have so many ‘to-do’ lists that I need another list to keep track of my lists! When I quit work a few months ago, one of the first things I did was to make a long list of all the projects that I want to do.  It was a very long list.  I have done some of the things on that list, but have added more lists since then.  It seems that for every one thing I finish from a list, I add several more to take its’ place.

You may wonder what this has to do with New Year’s resolutions.  I heard a talk show host on the radio the other day say that all his friends were posting on Facebook about their goals for the year, mostly centered around fitness and finances.  One of his friends said his goal was to win the lottery.  The  host concluded by saying that the lottery goal was just as likely to happen as all the goals his other friends had set.  Do I really think that I will every finish all the goals I set as I write all my lists?  That is as likely as my winning the lottery, especially since I never enter the lottery. I keep writing my lists, knowing I will never finish everything, I feel that I am more productive with reminders of what I want to accomplish.

Maybe my New Year’s resolution for this year should be to keep my lists from blowing away.

~Gayle