Atlantic Puffin resting at the Elliston Puffin Viewing site - taken with a 600mm lens and heavily cropped
Learning to Triage the To-Do List 🍂
Ah, sweet November! How I love you and dislike you all at once!
Earlier this weekend, my daughter was sharing some feelings of overwhelm. She was worried that she just couldn't seem to get caught up with school. My advice? Get used to it! That feeling of never quite being caught up – welcome to adulthood, sweetheart! (I say this with much love, of course!)
As the weekend went on, I found myself experiencing some of those same feelings.
I have so many ideas swirling around in my head – Christmas cards, Christmas photo sessions, January workshops, markets to plan for – you get the picture! Add to that, yard clean-up that has yet to be done, and the house - well if you show up please don’t judge! - I found myself feeling a little stuck.
Old me would have either avoided the to-do list altogether or spent a good chunk of the day stressing about everything I wasn't getting done.
New me? I broke things down, grabbed a pen and paper (yes, you can use your phone, but there are some interesting benefits to putting pen to paper!), and made a good old-fashioned to-do list.
And then I TRIAGED that list!
This is something I do regularly in my work life, and I've learned that it's just as important to apply it at home. Not everything needs to get done today. Some things are more urgent than others, some can wait, and some things really don't need to be done at all.
I've learned to prioritize myself and the things that matter most. Sometimes that means projects take a little longer than I originally planned, and I've had to become okay with that.
Case in point: Both my girls were home for the weekend, so instead of spending the day trying to tackle my never-ending list, we went for a drive to see the trick-or-treaters, grabbed a sundae and did a little deer scouting along the way.
And you know what happened after that break? I came home feeling refreshed and managed to finish another gallery!
A reminder that taking a break isn't the same as falling behind.
Learning to recognize when we need to step away is so important. We aren't machines, and recognizing when overwhelm is creeping in – or even before it gets there – can help us work through it rather than allowing it to work against us.
As for November, I may never be a fan of the early darkness, but perhaps there is a reason we have this season. Nature reminds us that not every season is about growth and doing more. Sometimes it's about slowing down, restoring, reflecting and simply being.
A little mindfulness reminder for this week: Take a look at your own to-do list. What really needs your attention? What can wait? And perhaps most importantly, where can you make a little room for yourself?
And for anyone struggling with this time change - be kind to yourself - it is a thing! If you can, get outside in the morning or on a lunch break.
Wishing you a mindful Monday! ❤️🍂
