Conquering Single Moms' To Do List

On certain days, you know what today holds…school, work, pick your kids from school, making dinner, doing homework, and then getting to sleep later than you expected.

As a single mom on other days you wake up and you pull yourself out of bed, knowing it's going to be that kind of day…a crazy, chaotic day. You wake up in plenty of time to get ready, yet you find yourself leaving late…again. You're stressed driving your kids to school. You're moody and cranky. It's going to be a day alright.

After dropping your kids off, you realize you have a million things that must be done today. This is just one of the challenges as a single mom. You feel panicked, because you have a mile long to-do list…that just keeps growing. It's been like that since you can remember. How do you even begin to conquer your to-do list?

Next thing you know looking at "laundry" on your to-do list transitions your thoughts to take on a life of their own….you think about clothes, then your favorite shirt, how it's blue, and the conversation you had with your ex about his blue car. The one you guys got for you but somehow he ended up getting. Dang him. You love that car. I bet he's sitting in his blue car right now and not thinking about any of this. I bet he isn't getting stressed about all of the things he has to do. He doesn't feel overwhelmed or exhausted. He probably sleeps so soundly at night. Why am I even thinking about him?

This just frustrates you even more…the last thing you want to do is think about him. How does seeing "laundry" on your to-do list make you think about your ex. You crank up the radio just to drown out your thoughts. You sing loudly to the next song. Great! Now this song will be stuck in your head all day. Then again, anything is better than having your ex stuck in your mind.

You're overwhelmed, and you're not alone. You're a single mom. You're doing everything you can Every.Single.Day. Give yourself credit for the things you do. You cook, clean, do laundry, chores, and household tasks. You work, even when you don't feel like it. When you're sick, you still don't get a break, because you're a single mom. You do it all and then some.

Take a breather. Take a deep breath in and release it slowly. Take another deep breath in and release it slowly.

So, how do you conquer a to-do list? No matter how big the list is, break it down into small parts. Pick three things from the list you will accomplish today. Do what it takes to accomplish them, because what you are or are not doing now isn't working. Hold yourself accountable and use a no excuses approach. Wake up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. When you hold yourself accountable, you will achieve so much more every day. When you do this, the list will decrease little by little. When your list becomes non-existent, you will feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment. And you'll know never to let your to-do list get that big again, because when you do, "laundry" just may lead you to think about your ex again. And we know you don't want to go down that road.

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