Midlife Mantras

In the 90's when I returned to college after being a stay-at-home mom, I said a mantra each morning so I would remember to do all the things on my checklist before leaving home for the day. Now, 25 years later, I can still remember that mantra:  "shower, teeth, meds, makeup, hair, dress."  

I know, some of it seems pretty obvious doesn't it?  I mean, shower and dress?  But heading back to college at age 31 was a BIG change for me and a huge change in my daily routine.  I had done daycare in my home for years and I now needed to be more pulled together each morning before walking out the door and heading to class and  I wanted to leave nothing off the list! In addition, I needed to make sure my two kids were ready for school before leaving, so the mornings were busy and I needed that mental list to get me in an efficient routine.   

Now in the thick of midlife, I do the same type of mantra when I have a list of things I want to accomplish around the house.  One morning last week before starting work it was "clothes, water, water, sweep, vacuum."   (Fold clothes, water plants, water flowers, sweep, and vacuum.)   I repeat this to myself as I walk from room to room to make sure I don't forget what I want to do.  

I know what you are thinking, "Um Barb, why don't you just write it down?"  Ah, but then there is the problem of remembering where I put the list.  Since my brain doesn't leave my body (at least physically)... I have a better chance of remembering my list this way. 

On other days, the train has totally left the station...and sometimes even derailed.

On a more recent morning my list was:  "garbage, bottle, basket, study."  This meant "empty the bathroom garbage, grab the empty shampoo bottle from the master bath for recycling, put the empty laundry basket away, and do my study on Acts."  

Seems pretty easy, huh?

You would think so.

As I headed back to empty the bathroom garbage I am repeating this mantra over and over.  I emptied the bathroom garbage and headed back to the living room saying aloud (yes I often say my mantras aloud - this is not always a silent mental list, especially if I am alone!):  "garbage, bottle, basket, study."  Realizing I was done with the "garbage" I said, "bottle."  

In the living room I stopped in my tracks, looked around,  thought for a minute, then more than a bit exasperated said, "WHAT BOTTLE???!!"  

I had already forgotten about the shampoo bottle.

And you wonder why I do these mantras????

I stood there and kept repeating, "bottle" over and over... then  it clicked, (WHEW!) and I headed back to retrieve the forgotten shampoo bottle.  It had been about 1 minute since I started that list in my head and already I forgot what "bottle" referred to.

Younger ladies:  Enjoy those multitasking years while you can.  Go ahead and giggle.  For down the road you too will find yourself standing in the middle of a room, with a deer in the headlights look on your face, looking around, and asking yourself  that age-old question that generations of women before you have asked:

"What did I come in here for?"