I just committed to my goal buddy that I would deal with my pile. It’s been sitting on my desk for over a week, and it’s gotten larger.

Jane’s Current Pile

I’ll never forget the way a friend of mine categorized her to-do list:

• easy
• hard
• hard
• scary

I believe that’s what keeps us from even looking at the “easy”…that last one: SCARY!

Long, also.

For the sake of transparency and learning, I’m going to handle each item and write down (or do) what’s required. Here goes:

1. The Playwrights Horizons newsletter reminding me that I want to write a blog post about The Qualms which I recently saw there and loved. In this mailing are comments by the Artistic Director and the playwright that I want to study before writing about.
2. Notes written during a coaching session that need to be filed – Easy. Done.
3. Car rental receipt – dumped
4. Notes taken during my college reunion when a writers panel of classmates shared their wisdom – deciding what to follow up on: research Nancy Pearl (on calendar); look up/purchase A Martian Wouldn’t Say That (Done – too expensive)
5. Record another note from my reunion to share with others – The purpose of liberal arts is to learn how to not fear what we don’t understand.
6. Images and text from a recent spiritual reading – Filed.
7. Notes from a session with a prospective client who didn’t opt in. Discarded.
8. Yellow sticky to congratulate a friend on her recent certification. Done.
9. Notes from a phone call with old friends/distant relatives of my family. Still feel guilty when I look at these. Filed in tickler for when I get back from Iowa.
10. Notes from AARP convention that I want to blog about. Filed in tickler. I really want to do this…
11. Text from marketing company on reaching out to my groups about continuing. Saved as file; paper discarded.
12. Random notes for memoir – now too out of context to use. Discarded.
13. Feedback pages from my memoir class. Filed.
14. Folder with message about how to storyboard – Note on calendar to follow up with friend who suggested a system.
15. Marketing piece from investment I own. Placed with airplane reading for flight to Iowa.
16. Receipts – filed
17. Colonoscopy reminder – called to find out if I really need to have one now since I remembered being told I could wait 10 years, and it’s only 5. Off my plate for now.
18. Dental Insurance Plan – decided to not take advantage of this. Discarded.
19. Notes on copy of memoir piece shared with writers group. List of restaurants we’d like to celebrate our 1 year anniversary at. Sent email to group for confirmation.
20. Wrote Batard on my calendar wish list (as highly recommended by fellow writer)
21. Copy of memoir submission (10pp) with classmate’s comments. Read and tossed.
22. Copy of homework assignment (memoir) with instructor’s comments. Filed.
23. Hand-written draft of in-class assignment. Discarded.
24. Envelope with memorabilia – camp photos – Scanned and discarded
25. Large sheet with memoir timeline draft. Filed.
26. Pages I’ve been looking for! New project. Put in tickler for deeper consideration and work.
27. Notes from last meeting of my personal mastermind group. Read and discarded.
28. Photos of outfits Scarlett put together for me. Added to book I keep in top bureau drawer.
29. Homework assignment from memoir class with instructor’s comments. Read and discarded.
30. Info sheet from Playwrights Horizons. Filed.

I had no idea when I started this process that there were 30 things to address. Even so, I dealt with them all and accomplished my goal to blog about the mission in just over an hour. It always feels more daunting than the actuality of it. This is a reminder to just do it.