Written by Ryan T. Pozzi
To-Do List, Monday
- Wake up before the alarm.
- Stare at the ceiling until it goes off.
- Let the dog out.
- Let the cat back in.
- Count the pets. Feed everyone. Count again.
- Pick up your phone. Put it back down.
- Reply to the email that’s been sitting in drafts for two weeks.
- Leave the draft open.
- Check your bank account.
- Regret checking your bank account.
- Drink the coffee hot, for once.
- Add something to your calendar.
- Move it to tomorrow.
To-Do List, Tuesday
- Microwave the same cup of coffee three times. Never drink it.
- Google “can cats die of old age in their sleep.”
- Delete your search history like it’s shameful.
- Wave at the neighbor.
- Pretend you weren’t just crying during a paper towel commercial.
- Reply “Doing great!”
- Add three exclamation points so it sounds believable.
- Check the mail.
- Regret checking the mail.
- Tell yourself you’re still in the middle of becoming.
- Try to believe it.
- Don’t talk about how tired you are. People hate that.
- Keep going.
- Even if the only thing you finish is the coffee you forgot again.
To-Do List, Wednesday
- Wake up late. Call it self-care.
- Eat cold Chinese straight from the container.
- Wonder if it still counts as breakfast.
- Wonder when you stopped calling people back.
- Draft a tweet in your head.
- Never post it.
- Answer a spam call just to hear another voice.
- Hang up before they say your name.
- Pet the dog like she’s holding you together.
- Check your calendar.
- Think about deleting your social media.
- Scroll until your thumb cramps.
- Water the plants.
- Apologize to the one you forgot last week.
- Promise yourself you’ll do better tomorrow.
- Don’t say what that means.
To-Do List, Thursday
- Wake up tired.
- Stay tired.
- Sit on the edge of the bed longer than usual.
- Don’t check the news.
- Forget what day it is.
- Remember.
- Open a new document.
- Stare at it.
- Scroll through job listings you won’t apply for.
- Bookmark three just in case.
- Try not to think about how much you owe.
- Wonder how to tell if you’ve failed.
- Reheat yesterday’s coffee.
- Drink it this time.
- Put in a load of laundry.
- Leave it there.
- Hear your name on a podcast.
- Rewind. It wasn’t you.
- Don’t remember why you got up. Sit back down.
To-Do List, Friday
- Wake up.
- Don’t check the time.
- Feed the pets.
- Watch the cat sniff the dog’s face.
- Try not to cry at that.
- Wash a dish.
- Leave the rest.
- Scroll past a video of someone dancing in their kitchen.
- Laugh, a little.
- Feel it go quiet as soon as it ends.
- Think about texting someone.
- Don’t.
- Think about folding the laundry.
- Don’t.
- Put on something clean.
- Say “I’m fine” out loud, even though no one’s asked.
- Wonder if that still counts as lying.
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Ryan T. Pozzi is a writer and cultural critic who interrogates the stories we inherit about legacy, myth, and reputation. He brings a clear-eyed skepticism to questions of who shapes our understanding of history. His writing has been accepted by Rattle, Fjords Review, Northern New England Review, and Ponder Review, among others. He is also a 2025 Best of the Net nominee. Find him at ryantpozzi.com or on social media at @ryantpozzi.