How To Unpack Your Insanely Long List Of Obligations

Here are 5 ways to organize your to-dos and add more time to your day.

Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash

Last summer, my husband and I took a post-pandemic trip to Hawaii. Because it had been a little while since we traveled, we wanted to make sure we enjoyed the heck out of our week away. Our strategy? To plan as little as possible. We booked only one big adventure (a zodiac tour of the Nepali Coast), and listed a few bucket list locations we wanted to see. But other than that, our schedule was free and easy.

My suitcase, however, was not. I seemed to have forgotten what it’s like to travel to a tropical island, because I packed enough clothes to last a month, plus every hair tool and product I owned. My bag weighed in at a whopping 49 pounds after I’d managed to cinch it shut, giving me 1 pound of wiggle room for any souvenirs.

We ended up having a fabulous week. We enjoyed our Nepali tour, and spent the rest of the time soaking up the sun and waves, or just exploring the island without any time constraints. However, most of the items in my suitcase were left untouched. Honestly, I think I wore maybe three of the fifteen dresses I brought, and never plugged my curling iron in once, That said, we left Hawaii relaxed and happy, and felt rejuvenated enough to re-enter our busy everyday lives.

Fast forward to now, and my life feels a lot more like my overstuffed suitcase than the airy schedule of our weeklong vacation. Granted, vacation life and real life are vastly different things. But instead of taking a cue from my breezy vacation schedule, I have instead packed it as full as my suitcase, to the point that I have reached the end of my wiggle room. There is no more time left to give.

That said, sometimes busyness is just a fact of life, and something we have to move through to get to the breezy, open schedule way of life (it exists! I promise!).

Here are some of the things that have helped me tackle the busy-ness.

1. Make a list of all responsibilities

I have found when I write down all my duties, it’s not as overwhelming as my brain would have me believe. It helps to see everything in front of me instead of swimming in…