Okay, it’s suddenly a brand new month (how quickly that happens) and we are now well into the new year, and there are lots of chores to be done! Perhaps the above quote references ideals far more worthy than any home or garden chore, but the sentiment is still a good overall example of what it may feel like to take on a list of tasks that may at first seem daunting. The realization that with some determination (and perseverance) there is always something that we can do is helpful encouragement. For me, as I shake off the blues that I have been experiencing lately as best as I can, I am marching straight into February with a vengeance. There certainly is much to be done and things are not going to get done by themselves if I do not initiate the process. Having plans is a great way to anticipate the new day, next week, or even the coming months. Depending upon the size of the plan itself, tasks may get done rather immediately (a fairly instant gratification), or they may become longer, more intensive projects that take more time, but that will still bring results eventually. Projects and plans, both large and small, are the current order of the day.

Getting things done is what is important, and in order to better organize, and to reach my goals, I am going to start by making a list. This should be the easy part, but as anyone knows who has sat down to do such a chore - or worse yet, who has been ‘handed’ a list of things to do - sometimes the very amount of tasks that we begin with seems overwhelming from the start. That is when a little bit of good old fashioned editing comes in handy. Sure, there are lots of things that we ‘wish’ to be done, but then there are also those things that ‘need’ to be done. How about we just begin with things that need to be done for now (and admittedly, sometimes the need list is not nearly as fun as the wish list, so feel free to give yourself some slack in order to best accomplish your own goals). Yes, I would love to have my old wooden windows re-strung so that they work better, but perhaps I should actually finish that kitchen renovation I have already started so that I can actually have some kind of a wall in place behind my countertops instead of merely staring at studs and insulation.

So with a little bit of earnest thought, our way-too-big list of wants and wishes gets edited down to something more basic. Keep the entire list, as you can always go back to it in the future. But from a realistic standpoint, too many things on a list just makes that list unattainable - economically and physically and even mentally - too many things to worry about just often frustrates and leads to inaction. Better to have a few key things on a ‘to do’ list that can realistically be accomplished, than to have a multi-page document that stops you short of any level of action right from the beginning, simply because the demands seem too immense and intimidating. Smaller steps and even paces lead much more often to accomplishment than a multitude of grandiose ideas. Be reasonable, not only with yourself and with your skill level and budget, but also with the expectations of what you truly set out to do; it is not a race to check off every box on the list as fast as possible.

Realizing that there is always something to do, and that there will always be something to do, I make my list without worry of getting it exactly right. As I have mentioned, I am most likely a bit biased towards my ‘wish’ list, rather than to my ‘need’ list, but I make the effort to realize this. Assuming that both parts of the list will most likely - eventually - see their own particular agendas accomplished, I am not worrying if I tuck in something from my ‘wish’ list that is not totally necessary, as opposed to the more pragmatic concerns (sometimes you just have to give in to whim). Yes, there is that small leak in the roof upstairs that I know that I have to have fixed, but I am also really looking forward to the marble countertops in the kitchen that I have wanted for so long. I know what I should choose. I know what I want to choose. And I actually know what I will, or have already, chosen. So, the old kitchen pan will just have to stay upstairs for a little bit longer in order to catch the rain drops, I suppose.

Yes, sometimes we do justify our decisions, but no matter how we begin to check off our lists, and no matter in what order, the most important thing to remember is that as long as we at least begin, as long as we start - with anything - then hopefully the other tasks, or most, will soon follow. Not everything has to happen overnight (or over the course of a weekend, for that matter). Bottom line being, if you are in need of tackling a few new projects - and who isn’t? - don’t get too carried away or overwhelmed. Do what you can. Make the attempt. Enlist the help of family and friends. And always remember to budget for an outside contractor to do the things that you cannot do, so that whatever job you are taking on gets done correctly and safely. Make some lists, draw up some plans, garner the energy to tackle that annoying project that you have been putting off for far too long already, and dive in head first without any further thought. But as you come up for air, just remember to also indulge yourself with that little something extra - that special project - even a very small one - that makes you happy. It is important and will help to keep the overall momentum going in the long run. At least those are my plans!

My current To Do List (in no particular order):

1. Marble countertops for the kitchen

2. Repair roof leak

3. Build a small garden shed from recycled materials

4. Paint front and back doors

5. Paint steps leading to basement

6. Reupholster wing chair

7. Repair front of driveway (decide exactly how and with what materials)

8. Fix pump in garden fountain for spring

9. Paint garden arbors and other outside metal and wood furniture

10. Paint front porch

Until next time…