Just Getting it Done Already!

With schools in our area back in session at the end of this month, the fact that my "This summer I should...." List hasn't gotten much shorter is starting to weigh on my mind.  I've done a lot that wasn't on the original list but That List is still pretty long.

Whether I attribute it to time management issues, a preference for working under deadlines, my ability to be flexible and adjust my priorities, or my self-diagnosed ADD tendencies, this isn't a unique occurrence.  Some of the items are pretty large and will take several days (clean out and reorganize my office, which has turned into the family catch-all storage room), but some are pretty small (publish a blog entry at least every week, preferably several times a week).

What does That List have to do with to topic of caring, which this blog is supposed to be about?

Everything, really. One of my favorite teachers, life coach extraordinaire Julio Olalla, was the first person to put the idea in terms I understood:  how do I identify those things that are important to me? By the time and energy that I put towards them; by what I make a priority.

If it really matters, if I really care for it, I'll make room in my life for it. "It" can be a personal relationship, spiritual growth, getting ahead at work, physical health, or anything else.  Want an interesting exercise?  Figure out how much time you spent on each area of your life in the past week or month.  It's an eye opening way to see what really matters and what doesn't.  My morning ritual (a couple of cups of coffee and a review of the New York Times headlines) is clearly a higher priority than many other activities.

One of the items on my summer list was to continue my year-long effort focusing on my health.  I expected that meant getting the standard prods and pokes, seeing a few specialists for those nagging issues that just haven't gone away, exercising regularly, and eating better.  On average, a very manageable few hours a week.  Turns out, focusing on my health, demonstrating that I cared for myself, became the overwhelming priority this summer (a topic for another post), taking up the majority of my time and energy and much of my family's.

And that's a big reason why the other items on That List are still there.  They fell in priority.  That doesn't mean that they are not still important; they're just not as important.  But now, with only weeks to go, I need a way to tackle at least some of them.

One of my favorite new reads is ADDitude Magazine, an online mag focused on ADD, but which contains a lot of good information for everyone regardless of any diagnosis.  The article that caught my eye recently is 9 Ways to Just Get It DONE Already!  It's helped me to look at That List with a fresh eye, prioritize those things I care about, eliminate those I don't care as much about, and get stuff done.

Does your List really reflect your priorities and what you care about?