There was a time when I dutifully made long to-do lists. And I dutifully checked off the things that I did as I did them. I would refer to this list throughout the day, re-prioritizing as the day progressed, adding new things as I remembered them. And the next day, I would take the old list and rewrite it with any new obligations for the new day.

It was a very good system.

But I stopped using it about four years ago. Bill deployed. I was pregnant with Number Four. I started homeschooling Fritz. At that time, my to-do list was the same thing every day:

1. Pray.
2. Get self and children dressed.
3. Feed self and children.
4. Pray.
5. Do school.
6. Wash obvious dirt off children.
7. Pray.
8. Put children to bed.
9. Cry/pray/fall asleep.

I really didn’t need a list to keep me on track.

That was then. I’ve been telling myself for the last three years that school is my priority and everything else I can manage to accomplish is gravy. I still make to-do lists, but they are usually for the weekends, and I don’t check them constantly, and they’re not the full and detailed ones of the past. Basically, I’m winging it.

This is not a good system.

First of all, school continues to be a top priority, but it doesn’t (always) take all day long. Especially now that we are in the home stretch – the last 10 weeks – the workload is easing as we complete workbooks and other projects. And especially now that the days are longer, there seems to be more time available. I have projects and planning and reading that I need and want to do.

Secondly, school is very important, but there are other very important things. And sometimes these very important things don’t take that long to do, but they need to be done. And sometimes these very important things need to be done at the right time. Like calling your mentally handicapped brother on his birthday. Not the day before, not the day after, but on his birthday. Because that really matters to him.

And when I fail in such a little, important thing, it is time to go back to a system wherein I not only look at the calendar and say, “Gee, Glenn’s birthday is this week,” I actually write down on my list: Call Glenn on Thursday.

And then I do it. And then I check it off. And then I’m happy knowing that the very important things in life are being done.