I Believe In To Do Lists

                                                       I Believe in To Do Lists

There’s nothing like waking up to a blank piece of paper in the morning.  My mind races with possibilities.  And in my mind, none of them are any more out of my reach than this piece of paper next to me.  I grab the paper, and quickly jot down anything and everything I want to do today. 

Growing up as the youngest child and the only girl in my family, everything seemed so big and out of my reach.  My mom would tell me “Your time will come” as I watched my brothers make one accomplishment after the other.  This excited me and I couldn’t wait to have a million things to do like my brothers.  I entered high school and finally, it was my time: my time to express what I had been holding in, my time to do everything I watched my brothers do, and more, my time to do anything that I had ever desired.  The possibilities were endless and I couldn’t have been happier.

My teacher handed me a book the first day of class- my first planner.  I wrote down assignments, aspirations, club activities, birthdays, and anything that I felt was important.  Looking at my planner materialized my goals.  It showed me that they weren’t just in my head, but that they were in my reach. 

Discovering new goals each day was inspiring.  I wanted to achieve more and more.  Captain of the lacrosse team, diocesan scholar, leader of my high school retreat, a part-time job; nothing made me happier than being involved.  My dad told me that I couldn’t handle it all.  He said, “Remember, just because someone says you can’t do something, doesn’t mean you have to prove them wrong.”  I didn’t believe in that statement at all.  In my mind, it wasn’t about proving him wrong. It was about proving to myself that I could do anything I wanted if I gave it my all. 

Constantly having something to do makes each day worthwhile.  Not one day seems meaningless when there is a goal to be reached.  I believe that I owe my determination to my “to do lists.”  They taught me to treat each day as an empty slate.  They taught me to believe in endless opportunities and second chances.  They taught me to appreciate each day.  But most importantly, they taught me to never say can’t.  My “to do lists” give me the foundation in which all of my beliefs are based.

I finish jotting down my ideas and I look at my messy paper.  Even if it is something far-fetched, I’ll write it down because once it’s on paper, it’s no longer just a thought… its real.