Key Takeaways
- This article follows one person who turns a long, stressful list of tasks into a soft personal story.
- House work, body care, travel plans and messages to loved ones all become simple “scenes”, not cold commands.
- A calm tone, clear words and bold text for what is still pending help this person see progress.
- Simple tools such as alarms, short notes and even tiny Dutch phrases support focus and action.
Story & Details
The day is not special from the outside. One person is at home, in a normal living space. There is no big event, no party, no drama. There is only a quiet feeling that many things should already be done and are not.
At first, the tasks feel like a cloud. There is a corner filled with things for making hot drinks. There are boxes that seem to live on the floor. There is laundry that waits. A small light on a device shines at night and makes the room feel busy instead of calm. A vehicle needs care for some trip that will happen later. Several people are waiting for a message or a call. The list grows in the mind and makes the chest feel tight.
So the person chooses a different way to look at the day. Instead of a hard, cold list, they imagine a simple story. In this story, every task is a small scene. Some scenes are finished and live in the background. Others are still open and stand out as important. When the person writes things down, anything still open is written in bold so it cannot hide.
The first scene takes place near the drink corner. There is a machine, a small surface, and extra pieces that have been there for a long time. One by one, the person deals with them. Water is emptied. The small surface is folded and stored. The loose items are put into a box and put away. A little tool that is no longer needed goes into the trash. When this is done, the space looks simple and quiet. It is only one part of the home, but the air feels a little lighter.
Then the story moves through the rest of the living space. A place to sleep has not felt right, so it is adjusted until it feels steady. Boxes are moved so it is easier to walk. In a storage box the person finds a few useful items and carries fresh towels and clean underwear to the bathroom. A small object linked to mouth care is checked and stored. A bright marker that had been left out is put in a drawer. A razor, missing for some time, is finally found and carried into the bathroom so that it is ready for later.
The body joins the story too. Before and after some actions, the person simply needs to stop and take care of basic needs. Later, they think about using the razor and cutting their hair. It is not just about looks. A fresh haircut feels like a quiet way to say, “I am getting ready for the next part of my life.” This plan does not happen yet. It becomes one of the tasks that stay bold on the page: to cut their hair when the moment feels right.
Laundry gives the day a frame. Clothes, towels and underwear are placed into a machine. A wash cycle begins to run. A simple alarm is set so that later, when the sound rings, it will be time to move the clean laundry so it can dry. Until then, the machine turns without help. One task is moving forward even while the person does other things. This reduces the feeling that everything depends on willpower in a single moment.
Plans for travel add a wider circle around the home. The person knows they will need to buy long-distance tickets for future trips. A vehicle will have to be checked so that the tyres and other parts are safe. The inside floor will need care too, so there is a plan to clean the vehicle interior with a simple vacuum. There is also a health detail: some medicine is important to take along, so the person plans to get clear permission to travel with needed medication from a professional or other authority. These jobs are not done in one day, but writing them down turns them from a vague worry into clear steps.
Even very small details are part of the story. At night, a tiny light on a device shines too brightly in the room where the person wants to rest. It is a small thing, but it bothers them every time they try to sleep. One clear goal stays open: to cover the small light that disturbs sleep, so the dark can feel like real night again.
On a phone, another kind of work waits. In a messaging app, several important messages sit without a reply. Some are from a close friend. Some are from someone who feels special. At least one is from a relative. All of them deserve more than a quick “OK”. The person also wants to call a few people who matter a lot. These tasks are harder than putting clothes in a machine, but they belong in the same story. They become lines in bold: to answer the important messages and to call the people who are still waiting to hear a real voice.
Words themselves are helpers. The person likes clear, simple sentences. Strange half-words created by automatic tools are cleaned up in their notes. Brand names and locations are not the focus; they fade into general, quiet terms. In the mind, short Dutch phrases appear like gentle commands to self: “Ik ga opruimen”, “Ik moet bellen”, “Ik maak mijn lijstje af”. These phrases are easy to remember and mark a shift from thinking to doing.
By the time the person decides to stop adding scenes, many things have changed. The drink corner is empty and stored. The place to sleep feels more stable. The space holds fewer boxes on the floor. Towels and underwear are ready for use. The razor is in the bathroom, waiting. The laundry is in motion, and a signal will say when it is time to touch it again. The trash has been taken out.
Some things are still waiting and stay in bold on the page: finish the wash and move the clothes to dry, cut the hair, cover the small light, reply to important messages, make the phone calls, clean the vehicle interior, arrange the tickets for future travel, have the vehicle checked, and get permission to carry medication while travelling. The person looks at this shorter set of tasks and feels something new: the list is no longer a cloud, but a group of steps. They choose to keep the story in their mind, but on paper they now prefer a simple, clear list.
The day does not end in perfection. It ends in movement. That is enough.
Conclusions
This small story shows how everyday life can feel different when a long to-do list turns into a gentle narrative. The home does not change shape, but the person’s view of it shifts. A crowded corner becomes a scene that can be cleared. A glowing dot becomes a tiny problem that can be covered. A vehicle, a phone screen and a washing machine become quiet partners instead of sources of shame.
The mix of tasks is very common: cleaning, caring for the body, planning travel, staying in touch with people who matter. What feels less common, but very human, is the way these tasks can grow so large inside the mind. By naming each one in calm language and treating it as a scene, this person makes it easier to begin.
Simple tools help: a timer for the laundry, a written note with bold words, a few steady phrases in another language to mark the moment when thought becomes action. Research on executive function and time management explains why this works: the brain handles big jobs better when they are broken into small, clear steps and linked to real times and places. The person in this story does not finish everything, and that is fine. They end the day with fewer tasks, a clearer plan and a softer feeling toward themselves. Sometimes, that is the real win.
Selected References
[1] Cleveland Clinic. “Executive Function: What It Is, How To Improve & Types.”
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/executive-function
[2] The Decision Lab. “Executive Functioning.”
https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/executive-functioning
[3] Verywell Mind. “How To Use ‘Task Snacking’ to Beat Procrastination and Make Big Tasks Feel Manageable.”
https://www.verywellmind.com/task-snacking-11857491
[4] Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. “InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning.” (video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Cmsl6EAX4
[5] The Guardian. “It’s tedious. It’s repetitive: why life admin is awful, and how to do it anyway.”
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jul/31/how-to-do-life-admin-expert-advice
Appendix
Basic body care
Basic body care in this context means simple actions like using the bathroom, washing and grooming that support comfort and health during a busy day.
Executive function
Executive function is the set of mental skills that help a person plan, start, organise and finish tasks, and also manage emotions while doing them.
Light at night
The light at night is a small glow from a device that makes it harder to rest, and becomes a symbol of how tiny details can disturb sleep until they are covered.
Living space
Living space describes the home environment in broad terms, without naming rooms, and includes all the places where daily tasks and scenes unfold.
Messaging app
A messaging app is a tool on a phone for sending short written or voice notes to other people, which can make replies feel like tasks when there are many.
Simple Dutch cues
Simple Dutch cues are short phrases such as “Ik ga opruimen”, “Ik moet bellen” and “Ik maak mijn lijstje af”, used as gentle prompts to move from thought into action.
Task breakdown
Task breakdown is the habit of taking a large, heavy job and turning it into a series of small, concrete steps that are easier to begin and complete.
Travel planning
Travel planning here means preparing for future trips by arranging tickets, checking a vehicle and making sure that any needed medication can be taken safely.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 