I love making to-do lists. Everyday in the morning I grab my yellow pad and bright blue pen and start making my daily to-do list. Well, I overstuff my lists so that they actually lists more tasks than are humanly possible to do on one day.  Thus, my daily to-do list is really a daily-weekly list. Everyday I start off with hope that I will be able to achieve much in one day but I recognize that after a certain amount of time, I am spent. But by putting so many tasks on my to-do lists, I do give myself a grand sense of accomplishment as I start seeing checkmarks dot across my yellow pad.  I will admit that I am one of those people who adds finished items to my to-do lists if they weren’t originally there. Hey, one should get credit for all that one accomplishes, right?  The other day several people noticed that I have two columns on my yellow pad to-do list. I keep a list for work and a list for home/personal. Every facet of my life has a laundry list of things that need to be accomplished. I can include everything from dye hair purple so that I can piss off the powers that be to take Vitamin D so that I can have energy to do all the things on my list.

Near the tail-end of last year, I wrote up a large to-do list for myself for the end of that year and I happily accomplished most of those items on the list. It was actually more of a vision board and it inspired me to take on grand, bold steps.  That vision baord was such a motivating factor in my life, I thought that maybe I should do one this week as well. I think at this point, however, I am maxed out in terms of big bold life steps. I had way too many changes this year and had just been contemplating more. I luckily put a stop to such madness. As a result, I want to do a meta vision-list that is short. That may sound like a bit of an oxymoron. But here I go.

I am going to do a 3 x 3 list. Three larger imapcts with three accompanysing steps or tactics. Totally manageable, I believe. Perhaps this is more like a strategic planning exercise for my life. A year or so ago, I talked about how we should have our own personal mission statements in life. Thus, it follows, that we should have our strategic plans so that we can achieve our personal missions.  Supposedly, these strategic plans work for businesses.  Although more often than not these plans sit on the shelf of many executives gathering dust. However, mine will differ from those oft poorly-done plans because this is about my own personal life that I feel day in and day out.  I have to live this life. I might as well have a strategic plan. Although I must say, my startegic plan is just for this month. I have to short-term it because I am burnt out on the long-term vision thing.

First, I need to plan for this week. Yes, that is pretty short-term. But this year has consisted of really long, long weeks. I’d like to get through this week in one piece. I will have worked this Sunday with my team and board, and am not taking a day off.  So, what is my strategy.

a) Start getting healthy again. I am going to try to limit my sweets. I am going to try to treat my kneee well and ice everyday. I am going to try to make it to a physical therapy appointment. Although, the odds are just stacked up against me.
b)  Cook one of my mom’s old comfort food dishes. I may not have a chance to cook this week. To be honest with you, I will be lucky if I eat lunch any day this week.  I tend to not eat n. I am not one of those people that can somehow set aside an hour everyday to just eat lunch in a break room. First off, I hate eating in a break room with other people. Second, no one wants me to eat in the break room as I am the boss. Anyway, I will try to cook one of my mom’s dishes this weekend. I need that sense of her being here. I need to remember her and home.

c) I will try to not lose it at work.  Some people will test me. Trust me on this one. But my goal is to stay calm and be zen. I will smile through it all.

Second, I want to enjoy the month of December overall. I want to end the year on a positive note.

a) Treat myself to a short get-away. One way to end this year right is to find a cool place that isn’t far away to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Don’t get me wrong. I like hustle and bustle. I am meant to hustle and bustle. But a girl sometimes just needs to get away and feel that she got away. Get me?
b) Thoroughly enjoy the Chistmas holiday. I am going to sing Christmas songs. I am going to shop and shop. I am going to make my son’s wishes come true. I will even gifts to curmudgeons that don’t really care for me. Ok. Maybe that is a little bit of evil intention there. Screw the meanies. I will show them with a gift.
c)Declutter. This might seem strange. All of the month of December we gather and accumulate junk. Wrapping paper. Tape. Boxes. They just pile up. Do you know how many Amazon boxes I have? You probably don’t want to know. It’s scary. I want to get rid of paper, boxes and watch the television shows I recorded but haven’t had a chance to watch because I have been working night and day. As I declutter, I will have to binge. Binge watch, that is.

Third, it is time to prepare for the New Year. I need to start thinking and imagining what 2017 bring. I am in the healthcare field and with a new President in January, the healthcare field will change again. But that seems a bit daunting and a bit of a crapshoot. Who knows how things will change. I can’t prepare for specific changes. I just have to be in the right state of mind. We all do.

a) Create a vision board. Ok I mentioned I didn’t want to do a vision board. But maybe I should. How do I see myself. I should do a vision baord of my new outfits and shoes. I don’t have to be so serious! I actually started working on this already. Because I miss New York so much, I have decided to dress more like a New Yorker. I am bringing out my leather jackets, black clothes and dark eye shadow.
b) Start mapping out places for which to buy a house in Los Angeles. It may be time to think of somewhat settling down in Los Angeles. But LA is so big, where do we settle down. Once you pick an area, you are stuck there. That is what everyone tells me. Eek.
c)I need to write my book. Its time. I have put it on my list time after time. Now that I may be staying in LA a bit more, I should set up time to write. Oh shoot. I should travel again, as well. Maybe do both. I am not going to go do Wild-like Lorelai did on the Gilmore Girls. That is just not for me. That much I know about myself. I do need to connect mre with family. That can be pat of the book and travel goals as well. This is starting to be huge. I think I need to think about this all.

This is where my mind is at. I will get through this week. I will love this month. I will get awesome shoes next year.

We all needs goals. Go for them!