A while back I got curious about all the "I should..." things that flit through my mind at any given point in the day, every day. I told myself, I'm not going to beat myself up, I'm not going to start and then not finish, I'm just going to start writing them down.
So for a while, faithfully, if there was a flit, it went into my notebook (which, long ago, also started as an "I should carry around a small notebook to organize my thoughts" flit...success!).
Here's the list I came across as I was purging my notebook:
- Write a book (I have two book ideas which I will closely guard so as to avoid copyright infringment. JK. It's really my deep insecurities which keep me from sharing w/the world)
- Put together an awesome career book for my kids so they can start thinking early about what they want to do with their lives
- Learn more about social psychology so as to impress my husband with my vast knowledge about his chosen profession
- Volunteer with the Florida Guardian ad Litem program (basically be a child's legal advocate)
- Learn to sew (hee. Can barely say that with a straight face).
- Become a certified mediator.
- Learn more about probate, contract and business law.
- Take the Utah bar.
- Write curriculum for a class on the practical aspects of law practice.
- Record some songs I've written and send them to a couple of my prestigious contacts (by a couple I mean one, and by contact I mean can barely be called a contact).
- Learn French so my husband and I can engage in beautiful-sounding gossip.
- Learn Spanish because holy useful language to know, I think.
- Lose 20 pounds. Ah, the evergreen goal. This one never goes out of style.
- Write more short stories. Get them published.
- Daily scriptures.
- Daily journal.
Looking at this list, I know one thing: I can't possibly lovingly raise my child, have a clean kitchen and organized closets, have a new baby, nurture a marriage, perform my church calling, sleep 9 hours (do not judge me), and get some extremely-important-to-me down-time (on a daily basis, people. I need it) and do all this stuff over the next 5 years.
So my new goal is: become super down to earth, good-humored, authentic sort of person who totally gets that she only has two arms, two legs, and 24 hours in a day and something has got to give. For now, it will be...almost my entire list.
So for a while, faithfully, if there was a flit, it went into my notebook (which, long ago, also started as an "I should carry around a small notebook to organize my thoughts" flit...success!).
Here's the list I came across as I was purging my notebook:
- Write a book (I have two book ideas which I will closely guard so as to avoid copyright infringment. JK. It's really my deep insecurities which keep me from sharing w/the world)
- Put together an awesome career book for my kids so they can start thinking early about what they want to do with their lives
- Learn more about social psychology so as to impress my husband with my vast knowledge about his chosen profession
- Volunteer with the Florida Guardian ad Litem program (basically be a child's legal advocate)
- Learn to sew (hee. Can barely say that with a straight face).
- Become a certified mediator.
- Learn more about probate, contract and business law.
- Take the Utah bar.
- Write curriculum for a class on the practical aspects of law practice.
- Record some songs I've written and send them to a couple of my prestigious contacts (by a couple I mean one, and by contact I mean can barely be called a contact).
- Learn French so my husband and I can engage in beautiful-sounding gossip.
- Learn Spanish because holy useful language to know, I think.
- Lose 20 pounds. Ah, the evergreen goal. This one never goes out of style.
- Write more short stories. Get them published.
- Daily scriptures.
- Daily journal.
Looking at this list, I know one thing: I can't possibly lovingly raise my child, have a clean kitchen and organized closets, have a new baby, nurture a marriage, perform my church calling, sleep 9 hours (do not judge me), and get some extremely-important-to-me down-time (on a daily basis, people. I need it) and do all this stuff over the next 5 years.
So my new goal is: become super down to earth, good-humored, authentic sort of person who totally gets that she only has two arms, two legs, and 24 hours in a day and something has got to give. For now, it will be...almost my entire list.
I have no problem doing everything flawlessly...I don't know why you can't. Hmmmm I must have gotten all the efficiently perfect genes. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteLove love LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's about setting yourself up for failure, it's about truly accepting happiness in having and accomplishing less, while BEING more.
I love your list! I think half of them are on my list! I keep thinking that someday I will accomplish something on that list. But, I am satisfied just having a list!
ReplyDeletecheck out my list on my bolg of things to make your life better, it much more do-able....
ReplyDeleteYou should add "call Leah Marie" to the list. Its super easy, you can do it while giving Claire attention, and then you can totally put a check mark by something on the list indicating its completion.
ReplyDelete