As a stay-at-home mother, my To Do list can sometimes feel daunting and impossible, but really, there are only a few essentials on the list:

• Breathe
• Eat
• Sleep
• Make sure my children breathe
• Feed my children
• Help my children get the sleep they need

That’s it. But these essential self-care items are not even on my To Do list. Instead, my list is cluttered and clogged with things that don’t matter. Things that are nice to do if they don’t compromise my sanity, like run the preschool book fair and be the room parent for Pippa’s kindergarten class; but ultimately, the fate of nations does not rise or fall based on these activities.

At 5 a.m., though, my To Do list feels urgent. Lately, I fall asleep at 10 p.m. and wake at 5. I try to get back to sleep for one more hour, but I end up tossing and turning in bed, with my brain blasting messages about my To Do list. The art project for the school dance! The art project for the school dance! The art project for the school dance! A very easy item on my To Do list, that does not matter in the grand scheme of things, and yet, my Ego likes to throw a fit about it at 5 a.m.

I think, as I eat healthier and healthier, my body is needing less and less sleep. Maybe the thing to do is just get out of bed and start my day at 5 a.m. instead of letting my brain go nuts for an hour.

Because in the light of day, when I look at my To Do list, as bloated as it may be, it does not seem impossible or scary. Rested and nourished, I can look at my list with a sense of humor and realize that (a) everything will get done in a timely manner but (b) even if it doesn’t, at least I have the essentials down pat.

I’m breathing. My kids are breathing.

I ate breakfast. My kids ate breakfast.

I got a good night’s sleep. My kids slept as well.

That’s it. Everything else is extra credit.

And in the game of life, there’s no need to accumulate bonus points.