Now, Where’d I Put That List?
Put it on the list. How many times have we heard that? Or even said that ourselves? Does a million sound about right? Thought so. Yep, no matter where you go, lists of varying shapes, sizes and lengths can be found nearly everywhere you look. At least everywhere I look. I’m the King Of Lists and I leave a trail of listcrumbs everywhere I go.
I have lists to remind me of the lists I need to make to remind me that I need to check the list of the lists I just made to make sure I’ve checked all my lists. In essence, I’m a Listaholic.
So, after coming to that realization, what happened? Where did it go? What is IT you might ask. Well, IT is my list of resolutions, my goals for the New Year. No, not for 2012. I would think that list would be easy enough to find, had I actually written one. And upon getting ready to make out my list of “Things To Do/Not Do” for 2012, that’s when it dawned on my. I quickly realized that although I know darn well I made out my list for 2011 back near the end of 2010, I’m unable to say for sure if I even glanced at it in 2011. Matter of fact, I’d be willing to bet that I never did. Shocking I tell you! Absolutely shocking. NOT!
Now, how would I know that there was such a good chance that I never looked at it, let alone stuck to it? Not so much because I can’t locate it but because, upon thinking back on so many of the things I had planned on accomplishing in 2011, I’m having quite a bit of difficulty finding even one thing to check off that list. Even if I could find it. Hence my belief in the fact that it’s more than likely stuck under a pile of Post Its that are scattered from the front of the fridge to the dashboard of my car and every drawer and mirror in between.
Come to think of it though, it’s highly unlikely that a mere Post It note would have done it. I’d have to believe I had many more goals than that at the beginning of last year. I would hope so anyway. Surely too many goals to scribble on a Post It or two. Yeah, this would have been more of a job for an 8 1/2in. X 11in. yellow Legal Pad. Yeah, that’s more along the lines of what I would have used, knowing how seriously I was obviously taking this new years resolution thing. But come to think of it, how seriously could I have been taking it if I never looked at it again? Not very.
At least now I know where to look. I’ll check out my stack of yellow pads and I’ll bet I can find that hidden jewel. Perhaps this isn’t such a great idea either, considering that I have about 15 or 20 Legal Pads scattered about, all with various amounts of To Do lists and extremely important notes (aka random thoughts and ideas) jotted down throughout so this could take a while. And that’s only if I didn’t remove the list from the pad itself in an effort to keep it in a safe place. A place that I wouldn’t be able to lose it and always have easy access to it whenever I need it. So much for that theory.
Should I have laminated it? Framed it? Had it blown up to Poster size and then framed it? Kinda hard to lose something that’s blown up to ten times it’s normal size. Regardless of what I should have done, I didn’t do any of those things and therefore, the list is lost. And that’s not to say that had I had access to the list that I would have accomplished any of the things that were on the list but the odds would have without a doubt been better.
As I sit here, mere hours from 2012, do I bother to make a new list? It is, after all New Years eve, the night before the list goes into effect. Sure, I’d rather be out and about, partying it up with my girlfriend (the one I don’t have but I think getting a girlfriend was also on last years list. Just can’t confirm it as I don’t have the list in front of me) and welcoming in the new year but since I never accomplished anything on my list from last year, at least I don’t think so anyway, I’m doing nothing on New Years Eve. And I KNOW that wasn’t on the list.
I guess what it boils down to is that after completing your list, you are required to look at your list as well as to take action to make it a reality. What good is a list that never has anything checked off? Very defeating, that’s for sure. And if you’re anything like me, you’re bound to add a few things along the way but if you can keep the list limited to the major things you would like to accomplish over the upcoming year, perhaps it wouldn’t seem so daunting.
There was also an interesting blog post out recently that mentioned rather than taking the entire year on as one big task, why not break it down into smaller bite size pieces? Now, for some this might mean monthly goals or perhaps even weekly goals. But the person that wrote the post mentioned daily goals, truly small enough to tackle as opposed to saying no thanks, that’s just too much to take on. I’ll work on that later which we all know that later never comes.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit I like that daily list idea. That kinda fits in with my A.D.D. side. I mean, like it or not it’s becoming increasingly obvious that whatever way I’m doing the new years resolution thing year in and year out certainly isn’t working. So why not change it up a bit, come at this thing from a different angle? I certainly have nothing to lose and at the same time, I have quite a bit to gain. Hell, who knows, I might even make a change for the better. One of these resolutions might actually stick for once.
OK, now that I’ve decided on what type of list I’m going to start my new year off with, what are some of the most important changes I need to make in my life. To enhance my life in the most meaningful and life altering ways. Hmmmmmm …………..
If you can relate to making a New Years resolution list or any other lists for that matter, I’d enjoy hearing your comments and if you know of anyone that can relate to this subject, I’d appreciate it if you would share this post. Thank you.
