Overwhelmed?  It feels so good to get One Thing done!

 I recently went to my daughter’s home, to help her with her new baby son.  Memories flooded my mind of the wonderful time we moms get to spend nursing our tiny ones.  But along with those, I remembered sitting and nursing and looking around at all I needed to get done!

So, I gave her a little advice:

1—Allow three months until you expect to get anything done or to reclaim any kind of schedule.  My cousin had told me that after my first baby, and it helped me to realize that the arrival of a new baby turns everything upside down, and it takes some time to get back any kind of routine.

And 2—Each day, pick one thing–even one tiny thing–that you’ve been wanting to get done for a while, and do it!  Maybe it’s one decoration put away or one button sewed on or one item donated, it feels so good to get that one thing done!  That way, as you sit nursing, you can focus on that one thing that you’ve actually got done, rather than all that isn’t done yet! Rather than despairing, you have reason to rejoice!  This way, you can keep your spirits up!

1. One Thing to Get Done

At my house, there is always too much to do.  So I ask myself, “If I could do just one thing today, what would be most important?”  Or even better, “Tomorrow, what will I wish most that I had done today?”  It helps me not be so overwhelmed with the whole gamut of things yet to do things, but to work by priority.  I can more easily figure out the highest priority by focusing on just one thing, then just one more thing!  When it’s done, I get to think, “Oh good!  I got that one done!!”

Sometimes it’s that letter I need to write or an email to thank someone–that is overdue.  Sometimes it’s the pantry floor that is getting sticky, or the bag of potatoes that is starting to smell suspicious!  Sometimes, it is simply the watering outside that has to happen today, the gift I need to buy before it’s too late, or the batch of laundry that needs to stay on its scheduled day.  But sometimes, I finally get to that craft I’ve wanted to do or that book I’ve wanted to read!

My sister likes to give herself a time limit:  “I can do anything for 30 minutes!” is her catch phrase.  If there’s a projects that isn’t fun, or a job she’s been dreading, she knows that she can handle it for only 30 minutes!  And then she can stop and do something more fun.  The not-so-fun is getting done, a little at a time.

2. One Person to Reach out to

There are so many to love!  Our spouse, our kids, our neighbors, our parents, our relatives, our ladies we visit teach, our kid’s teachers, etc.

Here again, focusing on just one takes away the enormity of the situation, and makes it seem doable: If I could reach out to one person today, who would it be?  Who has been on my mind that may need a kindness?

I have time to make Just One phone call.

I can write Just One email or One Facebook message.

Or, I can do something nice or unexpected for one member of my household!

One day, Mark and I were biking down a street and came across a person carting all his belongings in a shopping cart.  My first impulse was to call, “Hello!”  However, Mark warned me that there are some who are mentally ill, that will read a cheerful hello wrong.  He was just concerned for my safety, but I thought, “How sad!  That we can’t even smile at a stranger!”  But my next thought was, “I can always pray for him!”

Family members too, need our prayers through the day.

I can do something to reach out to one person.  And then, maybe I can do it to another one!

3. One thing while I wait.

There are numerous minutes that go by while we wait.

While we wait for the toaster, we could clean off the stove.

While we talk on the phone, we could sweep the floor.

While we fold clothes, we could call someone to chat!  (I dislike that job, but love the chat!)

I discovered that I can even call someone while I do a workout video!  (Maybe I am should be huffing and puffing more?)

While we wait at the doctor’s office, we could pick up something to read on Mormon channel or Gospel Library.

We can use these extra minutes, and be so glad we did!

4. One Thing While I drive.

While I drive in the car, I can do One Thing!

My friend down the street told me she doesn’t ever turn on the radio in the car. Instead she uses that time to pray over things that are happening in her life then.  Or just to give thanks!  It’s her one thing!

A neighbor of mine doesn’t like to do carpools.  Instead, she uses time in the car for one thing:  to connect with her teenager!

Still another friend, loves to do Books on Tape in the car.  She has one going each time she gets in, til its done!  My daughter-in-law absolutely loves podcasts, and learns a lot from them!

There are countless good things to listen to.

5. One thing before bed.

At night, I am usually tired.  But some nights, I am exhausted!   Those nights, I often tell myself, “I can do one thing.”

You see, I have this extensive night time routine, which can feel overwhelming on those particular nights.  I have to trick myself:  “At least, I can brush my teeth, but then I HAVE to go to bed!”  When that’s done, I usually tell myself, “OK, I can do one more– I’ll do my face.” Then, “OK, I guess I’ll do those Tummy exercises.”  After that, I have a second wind, and I may even be up to reading to the kids a short chapter!  If I make myself do one thing, rather than falling asleep in my clothes, I have set myself up to accomplish what I really want to, thus tricking my mind and ending up feeling much better about life when I do crawl in bed!

6. One thing can help curb Depression

A close friend of mine told me, “Once when I was going through a very depressed period of my life, a counselor gave me this same advice: just do one thing a day that is important to you. It is the only thing I remember that she told me and the only thing I did that really helped. It pulled me through. Because despite my sad feelings, I could feel some accomplishment for that one thing.”

There is so much to do!!  How can I ever get it all done?  Well, I’m so glad I can do One Thing!