I often feel as if I have so much to do, and not enough time to do it in, but when I write a list, and just do one thing at a time, taking all the time I need to complete the task, things go so much better.
But one thing nags me. I have several items on that To Do list, but I find that these small things just never get done and there is really no excuse for it. I am reminded of the Bright Eyes song Nothing Gets Crossed Out. Some of the song’s lyrics are:
I know I should be brave
but I’m just too afraid of all this change.
And it’s too hard to focus through all this doubt.
I keep making these “To Do” lists but nothing gets crossed out.
So perhaps the reason that not everything gets done is that there is doubt and fear lurking behind the lines of the list. Look at your lists. Which things do you check off easily? Which things remain? If you find that you are not getting through your list, it may be that there is an unease lurking in the essence of a particular item. How do you change that?
There are two ways: Either just do it, or decide whether it is really worth doing. Perhaps you never get to the item because you don’t really want to do it, or it is unnecessary. If you don’t want to complete the task now, but you want to keep it on your list, ask yourself why. This item, or even a category of similar items, may need further exploration.
As 2012 approaches, you might want to think of the things you really do want to cross out to make way for the things you really want to accomplish.