Today, I planned the heroic mission of packing up the Christmas decorations and shoving them back into the storage shed, a task that ranks among the top five on my “Jobs I’d Almost Rather Die Than Do” list. I woke up revved and ready to crush it. I was a one-person wrecking crew, ready to rearrange the entire universe (or at least the shed) to make everything fit like a beautiful puzzle.

Fast forward to 8 p.m., and you’d expect me to be basking in the glory of a job well done, right? Wrong! Every single Christmas ornament was in the exact place it was yesterday. I roped myself into being a good neighbor. First, I volunteered to pick up a prescription for a good friend who’s sicker than a cat with a kazoo. What should have been a simple thirty-minute errand turned into a full-blown circus, complete with clowns and acrobatics, thereby requiring four hours to deliver the medicine to my neighbor’s doorstep.

As if that wasn’t enough, I dog-sat for another neighbor’s sick little dog until she could take him to the vet. An additional hour and a half disappeared into the abyss, all while my Christmas tree continued to gleefully display its festive attire.

Having squandered half of my day on these “none Christmas tree” endeavors, I ditched the tree plans and tackled a task I’d been avoiding for a week. Replacing my Internet modem/router with a new one. Of course, chaos ensued, which required another two hours wrestling with Tech Support just to re-establish internet connection.

And that’s how my day went – a whirlwind of activities with absolutely nothing to show for them. It’s clear that I need a full-blown life makeover if I want to clear my to-do list.

However, providing a service to a friend in need always trumps my “To Do” list.