“Do one thing today that future you will thank you for.”

Being a mum of three young children and living with chronic illnesses, this little saying has become my motto. I catch myself muttering it almost daily to myself, especially during tougher seasons in life. 

Each day the “something” changes, but the concept is still the same. Some days it’s making sure the dishes are done, some days it’s ticking stuff off my to-do list. 

The “something” I choose is often a reflection of what I see as important at that moment. This motto is a way of checking in with how I’m feeling and giving myself a little gift. It’s that little bit of encouragement to say future you will be glad you did this. It’s not about perfection, it’s  about making a conscious effort and being kind to yourself when choosing what’s a productive use of your time and energy. 

On bad days the “something” could be the gift of guilt free rest, laying in a dark room and sleeping or parenting from the couch. Because yes, when you need it - rest and sleep is productive and you deserve to rest guilt free. 

On better days the “something” could be catching up on that pile of laundry or completing that task that’s been on the to-do list forever. 

It ebbs and flows with the days, sometimes it even changes with the time of day as my energy shifts and changes. It’s means I’m able to focus on one thing in that moment that I’ve deemed as important for my future self. It may seem simple but when you have kids or chronic illness or both - the dishes are no longer just the dishes and washing your hair is no longer just as simple as washing your hair - it’s a delicate balance of your resources including your energy and time which impacts your capacity for the rest of the day or even your week. This is why checking in on yourself and reflecting on how your feeling is so important.

My views on what productive looks like has shifted since becoming a mum and even more so since having my third child. For me, productivity is no longer how many tasks I can tick off the to-do list or staying busy all the time.

At one point in my life (before children) I tried to stay on top of everything, I tried to do all the tasks on the to-do list and keep as busy as possible as I felt that resting was being lazy (even with my diagnosis’s). As a result I ended up having flare ups which landed me in hospital, after which I would have to manage symptoms and recovery for weeks if not months - making me an awful lot less productive. 

When I became a mum, I realised the importance of managing my energy as a way of looking after my health. Checking in with how I was feeling—and what I felt I could do or needed to do—became part of my daily life.

Over time, this developed into my motto, instead of pushing myself to do everything and ending up with regret later. I’ve learnt that checking everything off the to-do list isn’t always the most productive use of my energy in the long term.

Some days the best thing you can do is that task you’ve been putting off. Other days it’s that project that needs doing. If you have the capacity and ability to do those things in that moment and not negatively impact future you, that is absolutely fantastic. In those moments you should go for it, but remember rest when it’s needed can be just as big of an investment into the tomorrow you as that project.

In a world where keeping busy and productivity hacks are everywhere it can be hard not to feel guilty about resting. As I mentioned above, I’ve been there too. The feeling that you just need to push through, just one more dish or one more task - it shouldn’t hurt. Other people seem to be able to do it all - that influencer on instagram, those YouTubers, or that friend on Facebook. The issue I found with that is you start comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel and capacity.

Someone who is sleep deprived, managing a chronic illness or the like has a very different capacity to those showing their “productive day in the life” on social media. You don’t often take into account the behind the scenes: they could’ve had a plenty of sleep or no chronic illness, or they could have different supports in place. Everyone is different and that’s ok. 

I’m one of those people who used to get caught up in the highlight reels and the endless “productivity hacks” on social media, but reflecting on my capabilities and choosing to embrace “do one thing today that future you will thank you for” has allowed me to reframe my thinking, change the expectations on myself and completely switch up the view I have around rest - now I see rest as an investment into my future self and as a result my family; and I understand that not listening to my body costs me more. 

Future you also deserves the small acts of kindness. 

As a person, particularly a parent you can get caught up in the needs and wellbeing of everyone else - showing other people kindness and empathy while not doing the same for yourself. “Do one thing today that future you will thank you for” encourages you to do those acts of kindness for yourself - whether it’s packing your lunch the night before, having that nap, or cleaning the kitchen before bed - they all make the next day easier. It can help with time management, energy management and also learning to prioritise what’s important.

This idea isn’t always glamorous or look impressive. Sometimes it the dishes. Sometimes it’s the difficult phone call I’ve been putting off. Sometimes it’s simply having a lay down, closing my eyes and allowing myself to rest. The something changes, but the intention and importance remains the same: to care for the person I am tomorrow. And on the hard days, that’s enough. 

So what’s one thing you’ll do today that future you will thank you for?