I need a rhythm to my life. One that has a natural predictable progression of steady beats and breaks that flow effortlessly and intentionally. It simply needs to create a nice fine-tuned balance of GO and STAY… RUN and REST… WORK and RELAX… HURRY and SLOW DOWN… FUN and RESPONSIBILITY and of QUIET and CRAZY.
You get the idea.
Spring has none of that.
It’s all one big long snare drum roll, building louder and louder until that cymbal crashes and the base drum thunders over and over again, until every last event, performance, ceremony, banquet, graduation, field trip, wedding, and tournament is played out.
And all of a sudden, you wake up racing your kid off to summer swim team practice and another to camp… Wait, what?
Oh, it’s summer!
Summer crashed in with a bang and the metronome that safely ticked to keep that consistent rhythm of life flowing, has catapulted itself into the summer air, scattering significant memories that flew by in a blur and those scribbled to do lists were recklessly tossed aside.
Spring does that.
No matter how much I am prepared for the onslaught of activity, I have yet to get a firm grasp on those drum sticks to control the parameters of such a percussive pace. I believe it is perhaps impossible to figure out how to do such a thing…
So I hold on every year for dear life, and wake up each day with that sudden twinge of panic and race to the almighty calendar on our fridge to remind myself which what is where and when and who…
You get it. Right?
There’s simply no time for those elaborate to do lists, written out with thoughtful intentions and careful planning so as to gain control over the momentum of the rousing snare.
For the first time in weeks, I find myself finally sitting here alone and able to take in a breath of new summer beginnings, despite summer’s first day being May 22nd around here. I have been stirring inside with all kinds of thoughts about this wild ride of parenting and basically living- because Lord knows you don’t have to be a parent to withstand the drum roll of spring. If you know people- or are related to anyone… then surely you too may be thrown off your own regular rhythm for a time.
So as with every summer that comes, I plan to be intentional with my days. It’s just too darn easy to live them away without grasping at the moments that can be made to last a lifetime.
I tend to spill out minutes through my “To Do” lists, consequently flushing out too many wasted hours getting things “Done.”
Yeah, I know. Stuff’s gotta get done! But really? If you are a bit like me, that “To Do” list takes over the things that fill me with joy. We all have meals to prepare, laundry to wash, houses to clean, food to buy, plans to make, jobs to work, responsibilities to uphold… I get that.
But what about the other stuff? The good stuff of intention and fulfillment?
I’m making a new “To Do” list. And with this one-
I will have to check off at least one thing a day.
It’s my most important “To Do” list. The one that is a priority, over the wash and the dishes and the plans…
Do you have one?
I’m going to call it my Master List. Because it trumps all the others. I highly recommend it.
Mine goes a bit like this:
1. Bible Study. (I have wanted to do this Beth Moore bible study for years! I bought this book, I kid you not- at least four years ago.)
2. Read a good book. (Need I say more? I only have about 45 books on my ‘to read’ list…)
3. Connect with a friend. (I need this. Connection fills me.)
4. Write. (This is my creative outlet, my source of passion. I wilt when I can’t.)
5. Rest. (Duh.)
6. Watch a good movie. (I absolutely love a good movie… I just don’t take the time to do it. Who has two hours in a row?)
7. Play with the kids. (One of my greatest joys… truly embracing the FUN with my children!)
8. Have a date night with Hubs. (Oh, how much I love my man and we need this time together! Marriage nourishment a must.)
9. Walk/Exercise. (Freeing, endorphins, energy!)
10. Any project I want. (To fill my need for order and organization. I love a good project!)
There you have it! My MASTER “To Do” list!
I will check at least ONE thing off every single day…
The other lists will go on as they must, but THIS one?
Will be most important.
What is YOUR Master List?
What fills YOU?
When is our next date night?
Call your mom!! Lets kick the kids out this Saturday! (lol) <3 *Smiling so big right now* I love you!!
So cute you talking to each other on your blog 😉
I know, right? I just love it when he ‘pops in’!! <3
Our Master List’s are very similar, Chris. VERY similar.
Hoping you have a beautiful summer, serving your Master, dear one.
With heart,
Dani
OH Dani, how just LOVE that our Master Lists are very similar!! That just warms me to the bone, knowing our hearts are so much the same. I’m really not surprised… I can feel it. <3
This is a great list and need to do this now for the summer because I truly don’t want the next few months to get away from, because I do want to enjoy as much of it as I can. Thanks for the suggestion here 😉
It’s amazing how fast summer flies by, isn’t it Janine? Yeah… I’m hoping for a good balance between filling myself up of these good things and running around just trying to ‘get things done’. I hope for that for you too, my friend!!
I think that’s a great master list! Can you believe my kids are still in school?!?!? We have this week and one more. Right now, I simply cannot wait for summer to arrive, but I know that, once it does, it will take us a little time to find our new groove.
Oh yes- that hard transition always catches me off guard every single year!! That first week of crazy after the storm of spring and the end of the year blaze, is always challenging! Good luck with yours, Lisa!! And I know you will just love your new groove once you get it under way! I am still trying to find the balance… every day, I’m trying to make intentional choices… still a work in progress. 🙂
That’s a fabulous list Chris. I love the idea of this To Do List. We need to concentrate on what is important in order not to miss anything, which can happen quite quickly when we are caught up in the craziness of life and summer life, even more.
Take care and hope you’ll manage it all well and have time for yourself and your loved ones.
Thanks so much Marie! It is so hard to be able to focus on those things that FILL us, when life gets so busy with those free flying summer days! I do hope I can really be intentional in choosing these things on my Master List and prioritizing them amidst the other lists of the day to day happenings with the kids… that is my goal! I hope you can embrace and enjoy what fills YOU, my friend!
We don’t have summer vacation for another three weeks! This time of year trips me up so much. It reminds me of the shifts of my childhood and of saying goodbye to friends, teachers and classes, and hello to summer. And then I think about high school and college and all sorts of crazy thoughts. And this is my first summer with a kid who has started elementary school. Weird!
We are definitely working on a date night. Weekly! With a weekly sitter! And I just got a ton of library books. Yay!
I know… this is such an emotional season, isn’t it? I can’t believe that sweetie is going to be in FIRST GRADE!! ACK!! I love that you are getting a babysitter for WEEKLY date nights. Oh that is just soooo awesome!! And library books… priceless! (Literally) 🙂
Love, love, love this list, and going to make it my own this summer! Loved the awesome analogy about the snare drum building to the cymbal crash. That’s EXACTLY how it feels this time of year! I’m gonna miss the metronome, but I want to make the best use of the summer months.
Oh thank you SO much Elizabeth!! I really do love the idea of having this special Master List to refer to every day for ME. Some days I can actually check off a few! I do hope you can make the best use of your summer and embrace and enjoy what fills YOU, my friend!!
This post comes at the perfect time for me, Chris, since summer vacation is only a week and a half away! Having a list at the ready is such a great idea. I’m going to crib from yours! Writing, resting, reading, and playing are definitely on the top of my list, oh, and swimming!
I’m so glad you are making your own Master List, Dana!! Swimming… yes that is definitely going to get added on to my exercise to do!! Enjoy and embrace it all, and be FILLED! <3
love this. you have a gift of word play..very talented writer.
Same things move me ..!!I struggle with ambition . I really do I love writing blogging reading. I have a hard time inter meshing with Momming. love this blog
Laurie thanks so much for coming by to read this post and I just love that the same things move you! There is no easy balance, that’s for sure mama! I try to be incredibly intentional with my time… I find that helps greatly!! Parenting is surely on the top of my priority list… but I don’t ever want to dismiss these other treasures that truly create who I am. <3 I think every season of motherhood has it's different challenges with this.
Your description of the craziness of Spring rolling on over into Summer is spot on, Chris. It is relentless. Seems to go on forever, year after year. But then you blink and you wake up and both kids are in college. How the heck did that happen? Must have been sometime after the hundreds of swim practices, the soccer games, the cross country ski lessons, the lacrosse practices, the water polo … the graduations … Whew! Good on you to stop and take a breath. That is what your Master list will allow you to do. Brilliant.
You are my future me Kelly!! Oh, I am in the crazy nonstop downhill slide and I simply MUST be intentional about this list, or I will lose those parts of my life and myself that make me WHOLE. I have to grip it good though… or I will get whisked away! Some days, I can check off a few of these gems… other days, I’m lucky if I get one done. Parenting… You know all too well how this rolls!
Why don’t you live closer to me.
We’d pray and talk and drink wine.
And we’ d LAUGH)))) xxxxooo
Oh we would. INDEED we would!!! Can you imagine? *Dreaming* Oh, how I would absolutely love that… <3
I love your Master List, Chris! What a fantastic idea. My to-do list is always ridiculous. I set myself up for failure before the day even begins. Your idea to check off at least one thing a day is genius. That way even if you only do one, you will have a successful day :).
Oh I have other lists… much longer and more about the tasks and every day chores etc. THOSE lists are constantly on my mind and I rarely am able to check them all off too! This list however, is above and beyond those to dos… this list is about filling the joy in me and prioritizing the things that are most important in my life! If I don’t have this to go by, then surely those other lists will take over. And that is not a good thing! 🙂
Awesome post and I absolutely <3 the fact that your first comment is from your husband requesting the date night!
I am a teacher and my last day of the regular school year was Monday. I never get to read (for fun) 2nd semester. So, I actually added reading in the evenings back in a couple weeks ago. I've already read 4 books. 🙂
I'm going to have to think about any lists at all for summer. I just haven't gotten past the crazy yet!
FOUR books? WOW Carrie!! That is just amazing! You’ve inspired me to read more… I have so so so many books on my shelf just waiting to be opened! I hope you are able to finish off the crazy end of the year and formalize a good Master List of intentional fulfilling things too! <3
I love this! So true about Spring. My list is similar to yours! Reading.. I just started reading the new Kristin Hannah book…I can’t even think of the title! But it feels good to take a minute and relax. I’m off to go play with the kids right now and enjoy a beautiful blue sky day! Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
That sounds like a great way to truly embrace your summer… especially those beautiful days! I’m curious about the Kristin Hannah book…? I don’t know her, and wonder if it’s something I would like? DO tell!! (When you can!)
Hi Chris! I was just reading a book about getting into the rhythm of life, and not getting overwhelmed by all the things we need to do. It sounds like you read it too!
I used to get so worked up when I’d have a social event to attend, or a glitch in my calendar. I had so much to do! How can I take time for this stuff? The book really helped me see that those social things and glitches just might be a ‘holy tug’ on my sleeve. How boring to be a work-a-holic. Do I think that I have to do everything? Oh no, God is there to lead. Enjoy your books and dates and walks. They make life…LIFE!
Blessings,
Ceil
Oh do I sooo get what you are saying, Ceil!! Often, I find those God nudges to be the things that make our lives just so powerfully on purpose after all!! I try as best I can to allow God to take the lead… sometimes though- these darn kids do. lol 🙂
I love this post! But my to do list is leaps and bounds longer than this, and it has to be! That’s ok by me, but I will work hard to find time to be close to my family and not worry so much about the “to do” list. But the thing that hit me most about this post was the part about spring – it went faster than ever, but FOR ONCE, I’m not dreading the summer work-from-home-with-kids around like I normally do. Just going with the God-flow this year 🙂
I love that Gina!! Going with the “God-flow” this year… perfect. <3
One of my main projects that I have GOT to do is make some photo albums. I lost a lot of pictures when my hard drive crashed back in December. So what I’ve found here and there and shared on Facebook I to put someplace we can easily look at it. I will feel so good to get that done, then I’ll do something fancier with 2015 pics and promise myself to stay on top of it. We just signed Christopher up for football and that made me cringe. I think practice will start at the end of July. Ugh.
That sounds like a great plan Kenya!! It really DOES feel SOOOO GOOD when we can really dive into those projects! I have to get at my own scrapbooks for my kiddos, and organize their stuff… YAY for FOOTBALL!! I know the feeling… Cade wants to do football so badly. I think we might allow it this year. *Cringe*
I love that your husband is the first commenter! This is a great master list. I also think it’s great that your goal is to cross off just one each day. That makes it so much more manageable! I might have to make my own for summer. Kids are in school for a few more weeks, so you’re ahead of us.
I like that too… NO PRESSURE!! Some days I’m finding I can do more than one… but others, it’s hard to even get one checked off! These are my ‘filling’ “To Do”‘s… so they must be prioritized above and beyond those chores and tasks that are on my ‘other’ lists… 🙂 You totally should make a Master List too! I’m betting working out would surely be on it! (And reading and writing and hey! Calling your dear blog friend and chatting!! LOL SOOOOON!!!)
I have a busy to do list right now — there is so much I want to get done before the kids are home from school. So I am BUSY. but, that is so that I can NOT be busy when they are here. So I can be present when they are here and not thinking about how I should have purged the house, or painted that hallway, or read that book. (not that I won’t read more books of course.) But after this list is done — there will be a new list. A Summer FUN list. and it will have beach days, and water balloon fight days, and rainy library days, and movies in the backyard nights. It’s not complete yet, because I think the best thing to do is to just see where the wind blows us most of the time — to just be present in the moments we are given. 🙂
YES. That is also my goal… I have been in ‘summer’ for three weeks already. Can you believe it? I am still working on the balance and being in the moment. Some days are better than others. You inspire me!
Ha ha! That is awesome your husband is talking to you on the blog! Love it! I’m working on a new similar to-do list, well actually several, but that is a whole other problem I have. lol I do lists quite regularly, and sometimes they get lost in the craziness of life, but then I find myself starting over and making new lists and starting again. Let’s keep making lists and living the story we want to tell. I love lists like these!
I used to be a HUGE fan of lists, Topaz! I was just like you!! I had lists upon lists.. I had MUST DO lists, and MAJOR PROJECT lists, and TODAY lists, and WEEKLY lists… ETC!!
This one though? This is my MASTER LIST- because these are the things that fill me, feed me, fuel me. I MUST put these things, this list- first, above all other lists.
I’m working hard on this!