A daily list

What a difference a day makes.  Yesterday I was shrouded in gloom, today I made a list and made progress!

Here's the list I wrote this morning:

Take garden rubbish to the tip         done
Wash black duvet cover and pillowcases      done
Alter khaki walking trousers      done
Look up sewing patterns on-line
Orkney Folk Festival tickets - register as patrons      done
Choose recipe for birthday cake      done
Sand woodwork in hallway (1/2 hour)      done
Shredding      done
Write blog      done

I have always written lists.  I think they are a great help to organise, focus and achieve.  There is a huge sense of accomplishment when things can be crossed off a list.  I often have several lists on the go at once, for different categories - that can get a bit confusing, and items get moved from one list to another.  However, recently my lists seem to have gone by the board, and i end each day wondering if I have achieved anything at all.  A little while ago I was reading this post from  the Down to Earth blog.  Rhonda was demonstrating her list-making method, and the reasoning behind it.  I liked the idea of a need-to-do list, and a want-to-do one, and I hope to implement that soon.  Today, however, I just needed to write a list of things I was reasonably confident I could tackle, and have some likelihood of completing.  

So we took the trugs full of the old woody clematis that was cut down a few weeks ago to the tip (always satisfying), and then went on to the supermarket to get some ingredients for a meal for my birthday tomorrow - sea bass was half-price so we'll enjoy whole baked fish with a salad, and a home-made tipsy trifle :).  It was sunny and windy this morning so the bedclothes dried on the line.  I finally managed to alter some trousers, taking some fullness out of the back seam and waistband.  We've registered as patrons for the folk festival in Orkney - we're off up there again in a few weeks time (it's fast becoming our second home) - so we are able to buy tickets when they are first released later this month.  I've decided to make a carrot cake for my birthday (yum yum!) and I'll do that tomorrow.  I cleared the pile of shredding, and did some sanding down of the woodwork in the communal area in readiness for repainting it later.  There's a lot of preparation to do - door frames, staircase and bannisters, handrails and skirting boards - it all has to be sanded, washed down, and hoovered before I even pick up a paintbrush.  Still, by doing a little bit every day, it makes it a  more manageable task.  I tried to check out sewing patterns online, but the internet connection seemed sporadic today, so I'll leave that for tomorrow.

So, all in all, a really good, positive and productive day.  Hopefully we've turned the corner.