How to Keep Sane by Choosing 10 Easy Things to Accomplish Every Day

Self on 07.11.11

Katie Morton Contributor bio

Photo Credit: Jay Gooby

Gretchen Rubin over at the Happiness Project made a list of the 10 things she can reasonably accomplish, with a little bit of effort, on those rough days when it feels like she can't get anything done. That way she can take comfort knowing that she will indeed take care of these 10 important items every day.

As a mom to a small child, I would say that about 90% of my days right now fit into this category: struggling to accomplish much beyond making sure my daughter is protected and nurtured. Of course, that's my job - to make sure she is well cared for - and so anything I get done on top of that is icing on the cake.

Choose 10 Key Things to Do Each Day

But still, when I fall into bed at night after one of those crazy days, I will sometimes think about the pots and pans in the sink or the blog post I should have written. Dreaming up my own list of 10 daily things would help me avoid that feeling of floundering around.

When you go to make your own list, you might find that it's hard to commit to 10 things. I was stymied when I first tried to write my list. If you think 10 is too many, then make it 5 things or even just the 3 most important things to do each day.

Here are the 10 things I can commit to doing every day, even those days when I'm spinning my wheels.

Take my daughter for a walk.
Laugh. If it doesn't happen spontaneously, then find a way to be goofy enough to make it happen.
Pick a time to focus and be in the moment, no matter what I'm doing.
Brainstorm, outline, write or edit a blog post.
Check my email and Facebook.
Make sure the dishes are put away and the kitchen is clean.
Check one thing off my to-do list.
Eat well. If not for every meal, then at least for one or two.
Drink a liter or two of water.
Give lots of kisses, hugs and love to my daughter and husband.

My bonus: For some reason, this one takes the most effort for me, even when I'm tired: go to bed at a reasonable hour. I certainly will make this one a priority, as it will result in fewer days of struggling to get things done!