I have a love/hate relationship with my to-do list. If it’s very long and contains complicated phrases like “call allergist for Scarlett” or “deal with insurance”, I feel a little heaviness inside, that weight of obligation. But as I cruise through the items, it’s a great feeling to check them off, to know that I’ve accomplished something.

Like most people, I tend to get more done when I’m busy. It’s so easy to ignore a tiny amount of work, and instead start rabidly watching season six of Pretty Little Liars on Amazon Prime. I mean, I’m not saying I did that yesterday, but I’m sure someone somewhere did. And I just want to make sure you know it was not me. 

There’s a story from my college days that illustrates what happens to me when I’m not busy enough. I was taking a Zoology class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The class began at 11 AM, a perfectly reasonable hour even for a carbo-coma college student who mainly subsisted on bagels and Papa John’s breadsticks. Class was across campus, so I had to ride my bike, but it was a straight shot from my dorm, and nothing to complain about. Read More>