Dumb Things I Gotta Do
[Note: I've been on a self-imposed blog hiatus for the past few weeks, but wanted to check in to offer a brief word of explanation, and let my faithful readers (that's you!) know that I'm still alive and well].
When I was a kid, I remember either my older brother or sister having a very “hip” to do list (it was the 70s, when hip was really cool). It had a glossy plastic orange cover with lowercase white lettering that read “Dumb Things I Gotta Do.” This list hung around our house for a number of years, and to my knowledge nothing was ever written in it. This isn’t surprising really, because who wants to be reminded of pointless tasks you’re forced to do against your will?
This list came to mind recently, because I realized some of my own to do lists have started to feel like that for me. Chores. Sources of stress. Burdens. Fun-suckers. Energy drains. Dumb things I gotta do.
So what’s a person to do? Add another “to do.” Namely, write a blog post about it 
Seriously, I’ve come to realize such feelings are an indicator that there is a disconnect in certain areas of my life between vision and reality. That I’ve over-committed, and undervalued the limited amount of time and energy I really have to spend. That I’ve allowed complexity to set in, at the expense of simplicity and clarity.
So for the past couple of weeks I’ve been doing what I counsel my clients to do. Hop off the treadmill for a bit to evaluate why I was on it in the first place. Employ the aid of a strategic outsider to help me gain some perspective and ongoing vision clarity (because, as a friend of mine so aptly puts it, “You can’t see the back of your own head”). Take some time to evaluate all the task oriented clutter that I’ve accumulated, to see where it fits (or doesn’t fit) within the broader missional framework for my life.
Thus, the blog hiatus. So now you know.
Does your life feel clear or cluttered? How do you manage your to do list(s)? When you look at the tasks on them, do you feel drained or energized?
Thank you for your blog. It’s so easy to get your life cluttered.
I’m reminded again to Keep it Simple Stupid.
Just say KISS.
Carol - wise words. Takes a lot of effort to keep things simple though, doesn’t it? While clutter just happens naturally…
“Hopping off the treadmill” for me usually involves opening Scripture and reading until I feel I am ready to hop back on, or (better still) until I no longer feel the need to hop back on at all. There is usually tall prayer going on as well. Then it all wears off, and I need to go back and do it again.
In general, mere navel-gazing is over-rated. However, noticing that you HAVE one is sometimes useful. So slow down, if you find that you can’t even remember if you are an “innie” or an “outie”…
But seriously: If you can reflect while not becoming self-absorbed, then you are onto something big. And the outsider perspective acts as the perfect foil to prevent useless navel-gazing.
One more thing–Most of the chaotic time-clutter seems to be a result of “little foxes” in life eating the “grapes” of productivity. All free time can be quietly devoured this way. Remember the time you wrote about your card or something getting stuck at the Kroger checkout? Did that eat a hunk of your time or what? But what about the subtle stuff: like having to wait on an RX for 15 minutes more, or getting stuck behind someone driving 45 mph on 75? How about getting out of the parking lot on Sunday?
Linda - love this thought - “reflect while not becoming self-absorbed.” Maybe that’s one reason Scripture is so valuable? Moves you to reflect on your journey, while reminding you that the focus of your worship is to be on your Creator and not yourself…
I really relate to the time devouring “little foxes” as well — especially when you’re stuck in traffic, trapped in a non-moving checkout line, or looking for your lost keys. Helps me to remember that God isn’t surprised by any of these things - and he can help us redeem the time in some fashion if we tune in to his agenda and give up our own…