I’ve been away for a funeral and it’s been an emotional few days, but now I’m home and trying to get to grips with real life again. Step one is to write myself a ‘to do’ list. I am a great list maker (spot the Virgo), although I’m not sure my technique is quite as effective as I tell people it is.
My current list reads like this:
UPDATE BLOG
CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
**outline new M&B – have brilliant idea**
***Write new M&B***
HISTORY
Do something about boiler!!!
*NAILS*
New FB page????????????????
Replace light bulbs – electrician?
NB website
**** renew virus protection **** DON’T FORGET ABOUT THIS!!!!!
Or replace computer???
Pay credit card (aaaarrghhh)
Car??????
*Editing/Image list*
REVISIONS???
Eat sensibly
POST OFFICE!!
Finish time slip
**Promote teaching courses**
Menu New Year
And so on (and on, and on)
Sadly, I keep changing my mind about what should go at the top of the list, which means rewriting it, which in turn means that rather than achieve anything, I just move things around and panic. Although, as you can see, UPDATE BLOG, has briefly settled at the top, and I am seizing the moment to strike one thing off at least.
Phew.
Fired up by this success, am ready to tackle Christmas, which obviously involves a whole subset of lists to write involving cards/presents/food etc. Am just off to find myself a pen and a clean sheet of paper …
I'm not a Virgo Jessica but I find lists so very calming. In the midst of the panic I can turn to my list and make sense of the chaos. I learnt lists from my mother (not a Virgo either I'm afraid) and I think it was one of the best things she ever taught me.
ReplyDeleteI could fax you my Christmas Planning List but yours is probably far more interesting (having things like "deal with snow" on it as opposed to "deal with flies and mozzies" which is on mine)!
Happy planning!
Oh, I don't know, Elissa ... have to admit flies and mozzies aren't my favourite things in the world, but they do conjure up an image of heat that I can currently only get by huddling over my blow heater.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right about the calming effect of lists - they give the illusion of control to those of our turn of mind, although I know different personalities find them oppressive in the extreme!
Could "Do something about the boiler" amount to painting it neon green?
ReplyDeleteI'm a list lover too and yours is far more fascinating than mine. Want to swap? ;)
Maybe I'd trust my boiler more if it was neon green, Lacey! Sadly, I'm thinking more prosaically of a service contract ...
ReplyDeleteAnd I realised I forgot to add ***CLEAN HOUSE*** to list - it's disgusting at the moment and it's a sad indication of my priorities that I remembered getting my nails done instead!
I find I'd rather write lists than actually have to do the things on the list. Which reminds me: I need to start Christmas shopping...
ReplyDelete