My Gigantic To Do List and My Fascination with Washi Tape

Grandkids-Happy, as usual

It is the weekend and I am trying to wrap up a few work items before my weekend starts.  I know I am the only one from my high school and college class that is still working at a JOB and I do not mean the blog fun.  But working does have some advantages.  Like a paycheck.  So I may be the last one standing and doing insurance as long as we still have insurance in the USA.  I thought I would have to retire in the 80's and become a realtor but shocker I am still hanging in there and doing what I know.  Thank you to The Bankers Life Company ( Principal Financial Group) for heading me down a pretty decent career path.

One of my ribbon and washi tape holders

I have a few friends that think that I get a lot accomplished each week.  I guess I have pulled the wool over their eyes.  My husband may not agree.  My priorities have certainly changed over the past few years and I am enjoying life more, worrying less and not passing up opportunities to have fun.

Why not?

In the old days,  I would work like a crazy person and be too tired at the end of the day to do much else.  Now I am more balanced and schedule time for myself alongside all of the work stuff.

This morning I got out of bed pretty early- About 6ish and did a bunch of stuff that you cannot do here in the heat.  Like trim the roses.  I should deadhead them more often but if you don't get out there early then the heat is my excuse to pass it on to the next days list.  I had a mid morning appointment and then I told Marty that I needed to read because I had hardly read at all this week.  So I finished one book and started another.  The book I started is The Summer Escape by Lily Graham.  I LOVE it.  In fact I will be back to reading it as soon as I finish this post.  One of our son's friends told me this week that he thought I was "all in" on the blog.  I am "all in" so I do not want to skip a day because I have my head deep in a book.

My office is a little busy.  I keep a lot of things that I use for projects in my office so that they are at my fingertips.  I am a ribbon fanatic.  If something is boring I add ribbon.

If you have not figured it out yet, I am Greek and this book I am loving is set in Greece, in Crete.  The descriptions of the country are wonderful and it makes you want to go there tomorrow.  I was there once and I will dig out some pics of Greece in the early 1970's when I visited with my Dad.

Ribbon and washi tape

On to the subject of the day--- They say you can remember only three or four items in your working memory.  But if you are like me your list has  more items than that.  I have read blogs about Bullet Journals and about writing out your list first thing in the morning.  No.

My downstairs desk.  My washi tape is in a candy jar

I love to write things down,  so many nights I will rewrite my List. One of my sections is To Buy--- why To Buy??? I might forget to order a book and I would not want to miss a new release.  When I read the new releases each week I make sure they are on preorder so I do not miss anything.   Amazon usually lets you know when your favorite author has a new book. I separate each section with washi tape because life is short and I want my list to be pretty.  It sits in front of me all day so why not.

Washi Tape

Someone was visiting my office recently and there was a pile of washi tape sitting there.  They asked me if I really used it and I told them every single day.  If you do not know what washi tape is- you should learn.  It is a patterned tape that you can buy in tons of designs.  My favorites are stripes and polka dots.  But I have flowers, letters, just plain colors, etc.  I have my washi tape on the wall of my office on a ribbon rack and at my downstairs desk in a candy jar.

Washi tape

The very last thing I do each night is set my top five for the next day.  The top five items almost always are completed.  I include some simple things like sending a birthday card (the old fashioned way through the USPS) up to a complicated work project that may take several hours.  If something makes my top five it happens.  Some days I can plow through way more than 5 things, but I start with the Top Five.

I am a bit of an insomniac.  Mind over matter.  If I have myself organized with my list and Top Five  in writing,  ready to go, before I go to bed,  I do not have to rehash in my brain for three hours what I need to remember.

Last year I was lucky to have a visit to an Integrative Medicine Specialist,   a "wellness" Doctor. Two hours of analyzing me.  Wow.   Surprise but I was doing just about everything wrong.  The list was overwhelming of what I needed to change to be more "well".  I started breaking this list down into small bites in my journal after the exhaustive analysis of my habits.  It was all good and I appreciate the knowledge of our medical experts.  I still have a long way to go but if it was all perfect what would we strive for tomorrow???  My Top Five was born.

I hope you have a fabulous day, week and year.  It is almost time to go to the Beach.

Coming soon:
More beachy decorating
Prepping for a beach get away
Doctor Birthday Party

A package from Amazon today:
Lies and Other Acts of Love by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Love, Ya-Ya