I liked this reverb10 prompt a lot:
11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
1. Saying or thinking “I don’t have enough time.” There’s always enough time for what really needs my attention. I’ve been working on recognizing that internal voice as a symptom of feeling overloaded, rather than a statement of actual fact.
2. Feeling rushed. This feeling is sometimes also a symptom of perfectionism, rather than an effect of actually running short on time for a project. Getting clear about which it is is the first step to clearing up the problem.
3. Not doing my full evening routine. When I do all the tasks of my evening routine, my mornings go much more smoothly. But even though I know this and appreciate its value in my life, sometimes I slack off on some steps because I’m tired or am just feeling resistant.
4. Getting behind on grading. This will mean modifying some of my assignments as well as my grading behavior. This has always been a problem area for me.
5. Reading or watching things that aren’t fully satisfying. I’ve gotten better about walking away from TV series, movies, novels, or blog posts that don’t fully engage my attention or desire for entertainment or information. But I could probably become a bit more ruthless in this area.
6. Outdated project ideas. Just because something was a good idea at one time doesn’t mean I still have to follow up on it, if I haven’t already started.
7. Plastic CD cases. I purchased CD binder notebooks to hold the discs and booklets but haven’t yet transferred my collection into them. Storing CDs without the cases will clear up a lot of shelf space for us.
8. A backlog of papers and receipts to sort through, shred, and file. This will require both some 5-minute sprints every day and probably a 4- hour massive attack. I think the two-pronged approach (some sprints first for a week or so to help me see some progress, followed by a highly caffeinated afternoon onslaught) will work.
9. Unswept floors. Our entire house really needs sweeping/mopping every day, with three dogs and two humans shedding and tracking in dirt from the yard. (Well, the humans don’t shed but the dogs sure do.) Right now, I typically sweep or mop every 2-3 days, which makes it a more onerous chore. I just have to figure out the right time in my schedule to make it a daily habit.
10. Outdated or non-working electronic equipment. Currently in the garage awaiting some decisions and actions for appropriate recycling and/or donation.
11. Not writing (somehow, somewhere) every day. That one is pretty obvious to me by this point, but it’s worth putting on the list where I’ll be reminded. Every day.