--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were ticking off items on a to-do…" description: "\"“They were ticking off items on a to-do list that was magnet-attached to the fridge. There were nineteen items on the list. They'd crossed off fifteen...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/chris-pavone-3124_fridge_they-were-ticking-off-items-on-a-to-do-l_10026.png" --- # They were ticking off items on a to-do list that was… ![“They were ticking off items on a to-do list that was magnet-attached to the fridge. There were nineteen items on the list. They'd crossed off fifteen. The final item was underlined: Make a life.” quote by Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/chris-pavone-3124_fridge_they-were-ticking-off-items-on-a-to-do-l_10026.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/chris-pavone-3124_fridge_they-were-ticking-off-items-on-a-to-do-l_10026.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff1/chris-pavone-3124_fridge_they-were-ticking-off-items-on-a-to-do-l_10026.png) > ““They were ticking off items on a to-do list that was magnet-attached to the fridge. There were nineteen items on the list. They'd crossed off fifteen. The final item was underlined: Make a life.”” [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reminder that life’s ultimate goal isn’t a checklist of tasks but a purposeful, self‑crafted existence. **In simple terms:** Life is a project, not a to‑do list. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaning over productivity. Themes purpose existentialism self‑actualization minimalism goal‑setting Mood reflective thoughtful inspired Type aphorism philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - midlife crisis - creative block - relationship decisions Key Concepts meaning of life personal agency values Practical Applications - coaching - personal development workshops Questions to Reflect On - What does “making a life” look like for you? - How can you shift from task completion to purpose? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attached Fridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attached-fridge-360749/) [Fridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fridge/) [Fridge Nineteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fridge-nineteen-360746/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [List Magnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/list-magnet-360747/) [Nineteen Items](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteen-items-360748/) ## Related quotes > [If you think of the ice caps as the fridge of our planet, if your fridge at home died, the food you eat would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/if-you-think-of-the-ice-caps-as-the-fridge-of-our-planet-if-your/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [“A kitchen is not quite a kitchen without something stuck to the fridge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-golland/a-kitchen-is-not-quite-a-kitchen-without-something-stuck-to-the-fridge/) [K.M. Golland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-golland/) > [Well, Im bored again. Time to open the fridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-im-bored-again-time-to-open-the-fridge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A wise saying is something you keep picking up off the floor in front of your fridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/a-wise-saying-is-something-you-keep-picking-up-off-the-floor-in-front/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [A fridge is basically just a big, cold box with a few shelves in it, right? Well, that's true, but where you store food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/a-fridge-is-basically-just-a-big-cold-box-with-a-few-shelves-in-it/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [When I'm doing kitchen planning as well as bathroom design, I try to walk through the day with the homeowner. If we're talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-olson/when-i-m-doing-kitchen-planning-as-well-as-bathroom-design-i-try-to/) [Candice Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-olson/) > [... I stare into the fridge. Like a mirrored image of myself. Cold and empty, and the lights come on only when you open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallgr-mur-helgason/i-stare-into-the-fridge-like-a-mirrored-image-of-myself-cold-and/) [Hallgrimur Helgason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallgr-mur-helgason/) > [If you looked in my fridge, you'd see maybe 12 different mustards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-fieri/if-you-looked-in-my-fridge-you-d-see-maybe-12-different-mustards/) [Guy Fieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-fieri/) > [I know what it's like not to have food in the fridge or money to buy more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-vodianova/i-know-what-it-s-like-not-to-have-food-in-the-fridge-or-money-to-buy/) [Natalia Vodianova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-vodianova/) > [I have a sense of urgency, of time. I am a woman and am always running between work, doctors' appointments, school meetings, filling up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segolene-royal/i-have-a-sense-of-urgency-of-time-i-am-a-woman-and-am-always-running/) [Segolene Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segolene-royal/) > [“It was a brave old world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-rayner/it-was-a-brave-old-world/) [Mark A. Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-a-rayner/) > [During an early performance of 'Spamalot,' I left my regal gloves in the fridge to cool down and didn't remember them until I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/during-an-early-performance-of-spamalot-i-left-my-regal-gloves-in-the/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [Open the fridge and put My heart on a plate. I'm just as you left me, and I taste even better leftover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/open-the-fridge-and-put-my-heart-on-a-plate-i-m-just-as-you-left-me/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [If I really like the smell of something - a piece of tar or my goddaughter's plastic doll - I put a tiny piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/if-i-really-like-the-smell-of-something-a-piece-of-tar-or-my/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [Online, you're providing each other with the good aspects of being together as far as communication and support, but you don't have to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nev-schulman/online-you-re-providing-each-other-with-the-good-aspects-of-being/) [Nev Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nev-schulman/) ## More by Chris Pavone > [Lexicon grabbed me with the opening lines, and never let go. An absolutely thrilling story, featuring an array of compelling characters in an eerily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/lexicon-grabbed-me-with-the-opening-lines-and-never-let-go-an/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“You talking about computer weaknesses?" "Yes. But also human weaknesses." "Meaning what?" "Meaning the types of weaknesses that make humans let down their guard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/you-talking-about-computer-weaknesses-yes-but-also-human-weaknesses/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“She didn’t want to give the murder-pornography frame by frame. Didn’t want to recite her route across Manhattan, the length of the knife blade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/she-didn-t-want-to-give-the-murder-pornography-frame-by-frame-didn-t/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [In 'The Travelers,' everyone is defined by his or her relationship to work. I put each character on a different rung of the ladder:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/in-the-travelers-everyone-is-defined-by-his-or-her-relationship-to/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > ['The Expats' would not exist without e-books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/the-expats-would-not-exist-without-e-books/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“It was impossible to understand how brief it is. It seemed like youth would last so long; it would last forever. 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Most of the time, I don't have to confront that, but walking into a conference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/there-s-so-much-published-by-so-many-different-publishers-most-of-the/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“Circumstantial evidence may not be enough to convict. But it’s almost always enough to reveal the truth. Isn’t it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/circumstantial-evidence-may-not-be-enough-to-convict-but-it-s-almost/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“It hasn't taken long to find herself thinking that people are watching. And that they always have been, all the time. It was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/it-hasn-t-taken-long-to-find-herself-thinking-that-people-are/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“But when Kate returned home he was gone. Back to the video camera that had recorded her. Back to his unexplainable office. Back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/but-when-kate-returned-home-he-was-gone-back-to-the-video-camera-that/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“She needed friends, and a life, and this is how you acquired those things: by talking to strangers. Everyone was a stranger, all on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/she-needed-friends-and-a-life-and-this-is-how-you-acquired-those/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“So she forgave him. And instead she berated herself for her suspicion, for her snooping. For the things she promised herself she wouldn't do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/so-she-forgave-him-and-instead-she-berated-herself-for-her-suspicion/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“On the semi-frozen river below, a duck quacked insistently, sounding like a grumpy old man agruing with a cashier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/on-the-semi-frozen-river-below-a-duck-quacked-insistently-sounding/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) [Explore all 139 Chris Pavone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) ## More Fridge quotes > [If you think of the ice caps as the fridge of our planet, if your fridge at home died, the food you eat would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/if-you-think-of-the-ice-caps-as-the-fridge-of-our-planet-if-your/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [If I really like the smell of something - a piece of tar or my goddaughter's plastic doll - I put a tiny piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/if-i-really-like-the-smell-of-something-a-piece-of-tar-or-my/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [Open the fridge and put My heart on a plate. I'm just as you left me, and I taste even better leftover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/open-the-fridge-and-put-my-heart-on-a-plate-i-m-just-as-you-left-me/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [During an early performance of 'Spamalot,' I left my regal gloves in the fridge to cool down and didn't remember them until I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/during-an-early-performance-of-spamalot-i-left-my-regal-gloves-in-the/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [“It was a brave old world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-rayner/it-was-a-brave-old-world/) [Mark A. Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-a-rayner/) > [I have a sense of urgency, of time. I am a woman and am always running between work, doctors' appointments, school meetings, filling up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segolene-royal/i-have-a-sense-of-urgency-of-time-i-am-a-woman-and-am-always-running/) [Segolene Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segolene-royal/) > [I know what it's like not to have food in the fridge or money to buy more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalia-vodianova/i-know-what-it-s-like-not-to-have-food-in-the-fridge-or-money-to-buy/) [Natalia Vodianova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalia-vodianova/) > [If you looked in my fridge, you'd see maybe 12 different mustards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-fieri/if-you-looked-in-my-fridge-you-d-see-maybe-12-different-mustards/) [Guy Fieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-fieri/) > [... I stare into the fridge. Like a mirrored image of myself. Cold and empty, and the lights come on only when you open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hallgr-mur-helgason/i-stare-into-the-fridge-like-a-mirrored-image-of-myself-cold-and/) [Hallgrimur Helgason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hallgr-mur-helgason/) > [When I'm doing kitchen planning as well as bathroom design, I try to walk through the day with the homeowner. If we're talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-olson/when-i-m-doing-kitchen-planning-as-well-as-bathroom-design-i-try-to/) [Candice Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-olson/) > [A fridge is basically just a big, cold box with a few shelves in it, right? Well, that's true, but where you store food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/a-fridge-is-basically-just-a-big-cold-box-with-a-few-shelves-in-it/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [A wise saying is something you keep picking up off the floor in front of your fridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/a-wise-saying-is-something-you-keep-picking-up-off-the-floor-in-front/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Well, Im bored again. Time to open the fridge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-im-bored-again-time-to-open-the-fridge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“A kitchen is not quite a kitchen without something stuck to the fridge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-m-golland/a-kitchen-is-not-quite-a-kitchen-without-something-stuck-to-the-fridge/) [K.M. Golland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-m-golland/) > [Online, you're providing each other with the good aspects of being together as far as communication and support, but you don't have to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nev-schulman/online-you-re-providing-each-other-with-the-good-aspects-of-being/) [Nev Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nev-schulman/) [Browse all 131 Fridge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fridge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They were ticking off items on a to-do list that was magnet-attached to the fridge. There were nineteen items on the list. They'd crossed off fifteen. 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