So it’s two weeks til Christmas and boy, does that hit hard! I’m not sure why really as I don’t have any major plans. Lunch will be at my parents’ place and I know what I’m cooking. Perhaps I’m caught into that strange phenomena that causes panic and havoc with so many at this time of year. Suddenly EVERYTHING must be completed (and in some cases, started!!) by Xmas.
No, instead it’s that feeling of frustration that much of what I’d planned for the year is still in planning mode. Or in the “pending” email folder. Or in the too hard basket. There’s quite a few baskets here that need clearing.
Today, I’ve decided, will be THE day to sort out and throw out. The four different piles will come out again, only hopefully this time I’ll put each into its rightful place rather than back on top of each other again. I’m slightly amused that this behaviour is repeated annually around this time of year. But also abjectly annoyed that these piles go back to 2015.
The truth is I’m not exactly sure where to start. There’s the collection of business cards and flyers collected from that trade show I attended two years ago. It was a good one so I’ll be following up on those contacts.
There are my surveys that I leave for my accommodation guests. Not to mention my Italian Cooking class feedback forms. Useful information that I must add to my database. Wow, one dates back to 2014, not that long ago in human years. But probably means death for marketing purposes.
The paid invoices are easy at least. I just have to enter them. Piece of cake. The letters from our financial advisers are not so straight forward. I think they had a cut off date. Hmm.
The one I love the most is the yearly wall planner. Somehow it just didn’t make it to the wall. But I have used it so that counts, right?
And lucky for me I just found my free parking voucher, expiring next month and my private healthcare card. I wondered where they got to.
I even uncover a little pile of newspaper clippings that have caught my attention, with the very real intention of commenting on them. God knows what I wanted to say eight months ago but it was really important. (Yes, I still like to flick through a newspaper, it’s a little luxury I’ve allowed myself. Time, that is).
The classic find is a sheet titled “Meeting Goals”. Say no more.
I do find a hand drawn floor plan of my intended garage conversion. Happily, this one got done, and even without the use of this sketch, it worked! Pat on the back for that one.
When I start to overlap piles, I know I’m sliding into hell. The ones I love, and I use the term loosely, are those where I don’t understand my own abbreviations. Clearly I “had to be there”. There’s nothing like acting in the moment.
And last in the pile, is an Ikea brochure on that fabulous new kitchen I’ve had my eye on. And it’s dated 2019, so I’m in with a chance.
If I’m being honest, it’s closer to 14 piles and I still have to “file” them but at least we can use the chair again.
So by Christmas, I’ll be that much closer to the elusive goal of completing jobs. I’ve even got a shiny new diary to help slot into all the plans for next year ...
Enjoy your break everyone and just for a short time at least, forget about ticking all the boxes before the New Year. There’s always next Christmas 😘.
Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash
#I'mnotprocrastinatingIjustneedabout12moreofme #workplans #organisationalskills #yearlyplanning #scheduling
