My To-Do List Will Never Be Done - And That’s Okay
Last week, I wrote about chasing a feeling and how life can feel perpetually just out of reach. This week, I want to explore the idea of completion - of checking off every box on your to-do list. Because let’s be honest— as a society we are obsessed with it. There are whole platforms like Notion, Trello, and Microsoft Planner dedicated to helping people get stuff done.
My toxic trait is making a completely unhinged to-do list for myself and then feeling frustrated when I cross off 2-3 items at most. Sure, there’s something cathartic about ticking a box and the deep satisfaction of finishing something. But lately, I’ve noticed my to-do lists never seem to shrink. In fact, they only seem longer. And usually, this correlates with an uptick in stress in my life.
I think know stress drives me to make lists as a way to establish some semblance of control. But the lists often become useless because I never come close to finishing them. Here’s the thing: if you are like me, your to-do lists are never finished. There’s always one lurking in the shadows, waiting to steal your Saturday morning or swallow your after-work routine—all with the promise that this list will finally get you organized and get your sh!t together.
As Jack Nicholson says in The Witches of Eastwick—one of my all-time favorite movies—“You wash the dishes, there’s more to wash tomorrow.” Sure, in the movie he’s literally the devil trying to convince Cher to eschew her domestic responsibilities and sleep over, but he’s not wrong about the dishes. Some things in life will never be done. Yet we tackle them like they can be. And that’s how frustration and overwhelm creep in.
I enjoy a clean house, but not at the expense of my limited free time and energy. At some point, it’s okay to say: this is good enough. The floors don’t need to sparkle, the laundry doesn’t need to be folded immediately, and the dishes can wait until morning. The same goes for your to-do list. It’s okay to cap it at two or three things instead of trying to do everything in a single day. Doing a few things well—and then resting—often serves us far better than exhausting ourselves in the pursuit of “caught up,” a state that rarely exists anyway.
As we start 2026, many people start plotting the whole new year - new me. If this is you and you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by everything you think you should be tackling this year, I’m here to say—put down the pen and paper, close out your Notes app, and take a beat. Ask yourself: what’s driving the need to accomplish everything right now?
To help, I have my Let It Go List, which I first shared back in 2022. It’s a simple tool that helps you sift through all the things floating around in your brain, and categorize them as important or something to just let go - at least for now. While my priorities have shifted since creating my Let It Go List, much of the advice still rings true. Check out the full post and grab the free download here.
How long is your to-do list? Are you going to let some things go in 2026?
2026: Are We All Just Chasing a Feeling?
As we enter the deepest part of winter in the northern hemisphere, I find it’s a good time to slow down and take stock. I’ve been reviewing my finances, my work and school schedules, and the long list of upcoming tasks. I’ve also been plotting a fun—but frugal—2026.
My post–nursing school bucket list includes:
Binge-watching PBS period pieces (Wolf Hall!)
Enjoying leisurely lunches with friends and family
Planning an actual vacation where I leave the state of Maine—not just a few days off from classes
Organizing my cupboards (for reasons I can’t fully explain, I’ve been longing to do this all year)
Trying new seasonal recipes
Creating a new painting every month
Reading a new book every month (recommendations welcome)
But the thing I’m most looking forward to in 2026 is simplifying my life and no longer having to balance work and school. I long for the days when I’m not studying, or thinking about studying, or feeling guilty that I haven’t studied enough. The closer I get to the end of my nursing program, the more I fantasize about the glorious, simple, cottage-core life waiting for me on the other side.
And then, all at once, I have to remind myself that what I have right now is good. That it’s okay to be happy, content, even joyful in the present, even if life feels messy. I don’t need to delay my happiness until some mythical endpoint where all my stressors politely pack up and leave me alone among my flower beds and journals. Because that day is not coming.
There will always be something to worry or fret about. At least for me—because that’s how I’m wired. Maybe it’s because I’m an eldest daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter (the trifecta). Or maybe my tendency to overthink stems from past trauma I’m only now able to start processing.
Whatever the reason, I’ve spun this tale in my head before: Life will be great when… That way of thinking is deeply ingrained in my psyche—I could walk it blindfolded. But I’m old enough now to know that I cling to bright, shiny futures not because they’re true, but because they’re familiar. And familiarity feels safe.
It’s easy to outsource our joy to the future. To hide in planning mode when what we really need is action. As long as we idealize what could be, we miss out on what is. And friends, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to let go of that old way of thinking.
If you want to simplify your life, it probably requires action—not just thoughts. Want your home to be easier to care for? You likely need to declutter. Want to get your finances in order? You have to sit down and make a budget. Tired of feeling like you’re spinning your wheels? You may need to be honest with yourself about what’s working, a little less honest about what you wish were working, and move accordingly.
For me, the life I long for often feels perpetually just out of reach—I can almost brush it with my fingertips. And while I’ve gotten better at taking action and rethinking what happiness and peace actually look like, there are still days when I feel frustrated that I’m grappling with the same old problems. But maybe that’s just life. Isn’t there always something—or someone—that becomes a thorn in your side? If I’m not careful, I could easily fritter away the rest of my days waiting for perfection.
And maybe the work, now, is this: learning to stop waiting. To stop treating peace like a reward I’ll earn later, once I’ve finished becoming who I think I’m supposed to be. Maybe a simpler life doesn’t arrive all at once on the other side of an ending, but in small, imperfect choices made right here—while things are unfinished, while I’m still learning, while the cupboards are half-organized and the future remains unknowable. Maybe this moment, messy and incomplete as it is, is already asking me to stay.
Do you ever feel like you are chasing a life that always feels out of reach? What helps you stay grounded in the present, while still looking forward to the future?
Free Spring Cleaning Worksheet for Your Home
Spring Cleaning for your home and life.
TIME FOR A SPRING REFRESH
I am a firm believer that our moods and energy are influenced in large part by our physical space. And so I still practice the age old tradition of spring and fall house cleaning. One of the ways I bring A LOT of Intentional Joy into my life is with a freshly cleaned home. In the spirit of Ostara, this lesson includes steps for a spring refresh - focusing on how you want to feel in your space, as well as how to incorporate some magickal elements into your spring cleaning.
Use this spring cleaning worksheet as a guide for an easy spring clean that will leave you and your home feeling refreshed and ready for the new season.
DO A QUICK DECLUTTER
Do a quick pick up of the room you are cleaning and take care of anything that doesn’t belong there. In my house this usually includes books and notebooks on the living room coffee table, empty tea mugs (#dontjudgeme), shoes scattered on the floor, and so on….
Next remove most the rooms decorations and knickknacks, which tend to accumulate over time. You can add back in anything you’d like, but by emptying the room as much as possible, it is easier to clean and you can get a better sense of how you want the space to feel as you put it all back together.
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ASSESS HOW THE ROOM FEELS
Once the room is mostly picked up, close your eyes and allow yourself to feel the energy of the space. Using this free worksheet, write down how the room makes you feel. When I did this in exercise in my living room, I found that it felt cluttered and stagnant. Even with the windows wide open and the sun shining in, it just felt tired.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WANT THE SPACE TO FEEL
How do you want the space to feel? Because it is the living room and is used by everyone in our family most evenings, I wanted it to feel comfortable and inviting, but also be spacious and have more energy to it. I wanted to feel good when I was relaxing in the space, not like I was just waiting to go to bed.
CLEAN THE SURFACES & REARRANGE AS NEEDED
Give all the surfaces of the room a good wipe down using your favorite cleaner. Vacuum and dusting the furniture and floors. Rearrange the furniture as needed. I find that moving the furniture in a space is the best way to break up stagnant energy. If you aren’t sure how to rearrange your room in way that feels good, or in the case of my living room, have a really awkward space your are working with, I recommend picking up a copy of Where Do I Put The Couch, which answers a lot of home decorating questions.
Once the room is cleaned and rearranged, go ahead and add back in your decorations.
ADD IN YOUR OWN MAGICKAL ELEMENTS
As I’ve mentioned before I don’t do much in the way of spells or other rituals. I just kind of go by my feelings. When a space feels good, I stop. You can certainly go beyond basic cleaning and rearranging with activities like smudging your space or casting a protective spell or two. The Way of the Hedge Witch is a great place to start, if you looking for some guidance and inspiration. Ostara is a great time to add in some fresh flowers to your space, along with some vibrant spring colored fabrics, candles or other accents décor.
If doing a full spring clean of your entire home feels too overwhelming (I feel you), focus on the areas where you spend the most time. Pick one room and set a timer for 30 minutes and see what you can get done. You’d be surprised how much progress you can make in such a short time. When I just want to do a quick pick up and declutter I always focus on my living room, kitchen counters, entry way or bedroom. I don’t worry about my kids' rooms (that is their space - I don’t try to control it), the bathroom, closets or any other places in the house that I don’t spend a lot of time in.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR DIGITAL LIFE
Consider Spring cleaning your electronics and digital spaces as well. We have a whole part of our life that is not tangible. Emails, texts, photos, spam add clutter to our inboxes and phones - and ultimately to our minds. Take some time to clean out your email inbox and phone. File important things away for reference and delete the rest! Again, if this feels overwhelming, set a timer and see how much you can get done in 10 or 15 minutes.
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