To Do List vs Want-To-Do List

calendar by Kelly Rae Roberts

I'm really good at To Do lists, creating them, checking things off them, then wadding them up in a satisfying little ball and tossing them in the trash. Done! Until the next list.




I keep a paper calendar, which would probably be considered old-fashioned in some circles. I like to call it classic – the feel of pen on paper, each square just waiting for a birthday, travel date, Zoom meeting, pickleball game – not to mention the art work and quotes that inspire.
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Granted, it's not too handy when I'm out-and-about and someone asks, "Are you free for lunch on Thursday?" I have been known to take a photo of my calendar, just in case. 






​​My on-going To Do Lists are on individual post-it notes stuck to my nightstand, a kitchen cabinet, stacks of papers on my desk, even to the console of the car. Excessive, I know. But it keeps me organized, and like I said, I'm good at it.

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What I'm not so good at is Want-To-Do Lists. In fact, I don't have a single one hanging around. Nothing is listed on my calendar such as read book, experiment with watercolors, or try out felt art kit. To dispel any thoughts you might have that my life is totally unbalanced... I do have a puzzle going, am starting to read a new book, walk in nature daily, visit with friends and more. It's just that To Do's can too easily take precedence over Want-To-Do's.

They seem more pressing, and many times are. Groceries must to be bought  and Zoom meetings prepared for.  But it easily becomes a habit to choose the flaming pink post-it list over the quiet book waiting patiently on the chair.

Granted in retirement, I have more opportunities to choose one over the other; but at any stage of life, it is Want To's that bring forth the bliss Joseph Campbell encourages us to follow. Without it, life is merely a list.