It’s taken me 20 years, but I’ve finally updated my to-do list | Zoe Williams

Enough is enough. It’s time to stop worrying about James Dyson, Victoria’s Secret and Jilly Cooper

My time management is quite old-fashioned, mainly consisting of a to-do list. Three columns if I’m feeling particularly efficient: work; admin; personal. I never date it. There are some items that crop up so unfailingly, a smarter person would take them as given – such as “walk dog”. It’s almost as if I only put it on to give myself the illusory satisfaction of definitely having achieved something. My son, endearingly, made his first to-do list when he was five, and it simply said “1. Wake up.”

So anyway, I sat down this morning to what looked like a perfectly plausible set of tasks.

Jilly Cooper. Whatever is happening in the world, even if Rivals hasn’t just landed on Disney+, there’s always something useful to say about Jilly Cooper.

Victoria’s Secret. Again, sounds about right: the brand is all the TikTokers are talking about, ever since their angel wings show last month. I’m not sure what the young ’uns are saying about it. Perhaps it was my intention to find out?

EastEnders, golden era. After things looked dicey with its viewing figures last year, the show has turned a corner, the plot lines have caught fire. In its 40th year it has a new lease of life, and someone, possibly me, should definitely find out why.

James Dyson. Yup. The UK industrialist is all over the papers, commenting hotly on Rachel Reeves’s budget while failing to mention the extent of the farmland that he owns, which was previously exempt from inheritance tax. Honestly, the brass neck of the man.

Walk dog.

Call Dad.

Find some better way to honour my father’s memory than circling the same drain of James Dyson’s character and the elaborate angel wings on some underwear models.

Don’t forget to walk the dog.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Topics

Latest in World

US election 2024 live: swing state polls closed as Harris and Trump pick up big electoral wins with New York and Texas
World - The Guardian - 7 minutes ago
Japan plans ‘conveyor belt road’ linking Tokyo and Osaka amid delivery driver shortage
World - The Guardian - 8 minutes ago
US election results and map 2024: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris vie to be president
World - The Guardian - 17 minutes ago
Israel's Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant
World - The Wall Street Journal - 25 minutes ago
US election guide: how to watch like an expert
World - The Guardian - 32 minutes ago

It’s taken me 20 years, but I’ve finally updated my to-do list | Zoe Williams

Topics

Related

My mother nursed a life-affirming 25-year grudge. Hard as I try, I don’t have the attention span | Zoe Williams

Sarah Beeny’s country house wowed me – but not as much as her sheer chutzpah | Zoe Williams

Apple Just Quietly Updated the 2-Year-Old M2 MacBook Air. It’s the Most Brilliant Thing I’ve Seen Yet

‘I feel like I’m missing something’: I’m 68, divorced with two children. I’ve $750,000 and rent my home. Do I need a trust?

My Red Sox offseason to-do list: Juan Soto, Juan Soto, Juan Soto…

This is how we do it: ‘I’m a feminist, but what turns me on in the bedroom runs counter to my convictions’

Why is Halloween suddenly so big in Britain? | Zoe Williams

I followed Trump and Joe Rogan into the manosphere – and it was not pretty | Zoe Williams

More from The Guardian

US election 2024 live: swing state polls closed as Harris and Trump pick up big electoral wins with New York and Texas

US election results and map 2024: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris vie to be president

US Senate, House and governor elections 2024: results from all 50 states

When will we know who is the next US president?

Democrats face uphill fight for Senate majority as Republican flips West Virginia seat

Latest in World

US election 2024 live: swing state polls closed as Harris and Trump pick up big electoral wins with New York and Texas

Japan plans ‘conveyor belt road’ linking Tokyo and Osaka amid delivery driver shortage

US election results and map 2024: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris vie to be president

Israel's Netanyahu Fires Defense Minister Gallant

US election guide: how to watch like an expert