There is just not enough time in the day.

I got to work on Tuesday thinking I was ahead of the schedule. Guess that was my first mistake.

We got on the school bus without any problems. No one had a meltdown. All of our shoes matched. One of them even had a ribbon tied into a bow on her ponytail – that’s how good things were. Believe me, those mornings are few and far between.

As I made it into work, traffic was good. I got here a little earlier than I normally do, ready to hit the ground running.

Made a good go at it, too, or at least until I had to leave to go to the commission meeting at 9:30 a.m. That was over by 10 a.m., and things were looking good for me.

It took fewer than three minutes for me to get back to the office, sit myself back down at my desk and get busy. That lasted until about 12:15 p.m. or so – which incidentally is when I realized that it was lunch. For some reason, that’s when my day seems to go to pot.

That one hour really messes me up, and it doesn’t matter if I sit at my desk and work, I’m still rushing around at the end of the day trying to get things accomplished when and how they’re supposed to be done.

I just don’t get it.

I wonder if there are others like me who suffer from this problem.

Is it clinical?

Staying motivated is a struggle, I know.

Sometimes it makes me want to hang my head and sniffle.

I know our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt, but I guess what separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

Granted I’m saying I’m “highly successful,” but I keep plugging away.

I guess the key to success is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions.

I understand that if I’m productive, I feel good, and if I fall behind, I freak out.

However, experts say that by learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

The best way I know how to combat that is a simple to-do list.

I get the best feeling of accomplishment when I am able to mark things off my list.

However, most days, it seems like every time I am able to mark something off, I have to list something else at the bottom to accomplish.

So, if you see me out with my list, please don’t let me leave it behind. I’ll start freaking out, and goodness knows what will happen after that.