I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get overwhelmed by the little things. It’s like there’s a magic number of minutiae I can deal with and any more than that sends me into overload.

Right now my to-do list includes: figuring out what happened to the e-tickets I was supposed to receive for an upcoming Diabetes Expo; following up with my doctor (who is going on maternity leave and has no replacement!) regarding a specialist appointment she is supposed to make me; signing up for a Diabetes Group followup at my local hospital; registering my kids for their summer activities - camp, art, swimming and sewing (for my fashion-designer-wannabe daughter); sending an excuse note to school for my daughter who was sick before spring break; etc., etc.

I know it’s just the reality of everyday living, but really, it gets to be too much sometimes.

So, how will I deal with it all? I think my usual mistake is that I look at my to-do list as something that needs to be accomplished all at once. I am very completion-oriented and like to go “check - there that’s done.”

I have come to realize that life is not like that. So instead, I try to slowly whittle away at my chores and take pleasure in each one I check off my list. I squeeze them in here and there in places where I think I don’t have enough time. Often, 5 to 10 minutes is all I need and the feeling of satisfaction is so worth it when I’m done.