Do you ever look at your long to-do list and dread tackling it? I do. Every day. It’s probably why things that could’ve been done by now are still on it, years later.

Last night at JFK, I noticed they’d redone the security area in the Virgin America terminal. The result of their efforts? One word: brutal. I have a hard time seeing how it’s an improvement over what used to be — perhaps my feelings are clouded by standing in a line at least ten times longer than I’ve ever stood in before. That said, I can appreciate that the security queue is there for a very good reason, so it is what it is.

Once upon a time, revamping that line was on someone’s to-do list. In fact, it was likely on multiple lists. With many opinions and cooks in the proverbial kitchen does not always come efficiency, and I feel like that’s what was sacrificed at JFK. One idea is conveyed but then becomes cloudy, then muddy, then it’s just a big, confusing mess.

The good thing about our own lists is that we can tackle things the way we want; we can tackle them whenever we want. If there’s a completion date on the horizon, we can decide exactly how we want to do it and aren’t necessarily held to committees or boards becoming involved. We stand a good chance of being fine with the outcome because our hands were in charge; our hands were the driving force.

Things get done every day. They get done by one person, by multiple people, by companies and organizations. While my own to-do list is long, I’d lose my mind if it fell into the hands of another. Things would be done in ways contrary to the way I’d have done them, and I’d be unhappy. But having the power to do them on my own — being able to orchestrate and direct, to guide and to call the shots — is a blessing I’m thankful for, even if the list gets a little longer each day.