The Ta-Da! Month

I already wrote about the fact that I let myself get too busy in May.

I made commitments I shouldn't have.

Or at least probably wouldn’t have...

... if I had known the unexpected things that would pop up.  

But we never know, do we?

That's why we need to plan margins in our schedule.

That's what I failed to do for May.

Forget the margins.

Margin-less May

So...

What about June?

Will I do better?

What will I do differently?

I decided to try something quite different in June.  I remembered my experiences with a Ta-Da! list and thought it could be fun to make a month-long one.  

It felt like the perfect kind of “opposite” from what May had been like.

My to-do lists had been impossibly long.

It was definitely time for something different.

Sure I still had to make some lists of obligations and things that I dare not forget, but I decided to shift my focus whenever possible. I would watch for chances to do things that I could be excited about.  Things about which I could say Ta-Da! at least to myself. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a whole month’s worth of Ta-Da! items?

Each evening I would add to the list.  It could be only one thing each day - but lots of days had more than one item.

What kinds of things?

All kinds of fun things - and even a few not so fun

Like that phone call I’ve been needing to make - check!  Ta-Da!

The appointment I’ve been putting off - Got that scheduled! Ta-Da!

The left-over project from May that was ALMOST done but not quite…  Got ‘er done! Ta-Da!

I sorted through photo files that have been languishing.  Ta-Da!!!

I rode my bike - NINE miles one day - and lots of shorter rides.  Ta-Da!

I sat out in the sun for my 15-minute dose of Vitamin D.  Yay!

I thought about an old friend. I should get in touch with her sometime.  But wait!  Let’s do it now.  So I did.  Ta-da!

Did my usual morning routines in record time.  Ta-Da!

Had a lovely visit with a new neighbor.  Ta-Da!

Walked downtown with hubby on his business errand.  Yay!

Did some porch-sitting.  Cha-ching!

Worked ahead (in advance!) to prepare my report for the upcoming board meeting.  Smart move!

Finished the HUGE project I’ve been working on for months.  Ta-Da!

So far I’m liking this experiment.

I’m thinking ahead to other Ta-Da! lists.

Sometimes they nudge me to stretch myself at bit toward becoming all that I can be.

Sometimes I even surprise myself.

Ta-Da!

One page and then another

John Steinbeck said:

I pulled Rocinante into a small picnic area… and got out my book of maps. And suddenly the United States became huge beyond belief and impossible ever to cross. … It was like starting to write a novel. When I face the desolate impossibility of writing five hundred pages a sick sense of failure falls on me and I know I can never do it. This happens every time. Then gradually I write one page and then another. One day’s work is all I can permit myslf to contemplate… So it was now, as I looked at the bright-colored projection of monster America.

What one thing?

I often feel scattered - or pulled in different directions. There are so many things to do - things that I want to do, things that I need to do, things that I should do... Arrrrgh! How do I find balance? How can I be more productive? As I think these things, I remember something I wrote a couple years ago. Perhaps it would be helpful to pull it out & read it again...

............
Yep, I'm trying to get my house in order.
-My house - literally.
-My life.
-My office.
-My stuff.
-The piles, the files, the messes.

Nope, this is NOT a new quest. I've been trying to get my stuff organized, sorted, de-cluttered for years now. Am I making any progress? Oh, boy; do I ever HOPE so.

But it seems like I keep getting STUCK. Like it's three steps forward, two steps back. At least, I certainly hope there are more forward than back.

So I try new methods. I encourage myself to stick with the old ones - the ones that seem to work. I use gimmicks. I post reminders. I seek accountability & support. I promise myself rewards. I try to discover the obstacles & find ways to remove them. I evaluate which things are time-wasters & work at eliminating them.

In my honest moments, I realize that I'm probably still trying to attempt too many things at once. My old habits of multi-tasking tempt me to spread my focus too wide. My tendency for not wanting to miss out on anything hinders my attempt to choose a single goal. But I must.

So, now I've happened upon a new tactic. How about if I begin to ask myself "What ONE thing...?"

-What one thing bothers me the most today?
-What one thing could I change that would improve my world?
-What one thing would make me feel better about myself & my day?
-What one thing is most urgent? Or most important?

This just might work - in various settings - to give me the nudge I need.
-What one thing could I do before I take a break? (or "before I go to bed?")
-What one thing could I accomplish in this 5 minutes before heading out the door? (or "...before my TV show comes on?" or "...while dinner is cooking?")
-What one thing could I be working on WHILE watching Jeopardy?
(or INSTEAD of Jeopardy - *gasp*)
-What one thing could I do during the next commercial break?
-What one thing could I put away before grabbing that snack?

Speaking of snacks, I realize that this could apply to other areas in my life - where I need to narrow my focus & choose only the best - like food. For example, before popping something into my mouth, I could ask myself:
-What ONE thing would I most like to eat - instead of munching on a whole bunch of stuff?

My friend has given me ideas of other ways to use this. When taking a break from work, she suggests asking "What one thing would I enjoy the most for this break time?" Then for a chunk of work time, she asks "What one thing do I most want to have done?"

So again I try - to take steps to get my house de-cluttered. What shall I tackle this week? What one thing?

..........

Sure enough, this is not a new battle for me. I do, however, notice a couple changes. Improvements, hopefully. I don't watch Jeopardy anymore - but not because of any virtuous decision on my part. Nope, it's just that we no longer get that channel since the switch to digital TV. Ya' gotta' love progress! But actually, I watch very little TV these days - so perhaps that has been a good step in eliminating time-wasters.

So I continue to struggle. Not gonna' give up. Important things are worth fighting for.