I'm almost through the fourth day of 2005 and as is norm, don't have "a list" of what I want to do or plan to change or complete or discard in the seeable future. In fact, I wrote just today to an old friend I met many, many moons back in aether space

Today is January 4th and I've still not knuckled down to setting any resolutions for the new year except (1) to keep in touch with people (2) finish the crime novel ASAP (3) get back to fighting weight (4) get Dale ready to sell by March, if possible.

Should I be more specific? Less ambitious? More realistic? Would spreadsheets help? Some thought and contemplation?

Somehow I think those four simple to-do items might keep me busy for a while. You'll note I didn't have any non-quantifiable goals such as be nicer to people. I'm so gosh-durn nice already I make my teeth ache.

I took a look back at to-do lists from 2001 and further past and wondered ... what will I think four years from now about things I thought needed doing today?

[TODO] 2001-11-10 (Saturday)
Bhutan photos
[2001-11-10] cream puffs
[2001-11-10] work on clearing out Sherwood
ComputerBits - January - know thyself
call/e-mail Caroline
bday card for Diane
note to Dorathy

Well, the Bhutan photos are still not in any sensible shape. They aren't on the Web. They aren't in a flip-flip photo book. I do know where they are, and when we start moving things out from my office, I'll probably tape up the drawers in the storage drawer sets I keep photos in and just move them lock-stock to the office/book space at Potrero Point.

I made the cream puffs, a dangerous thing to know how to make. I spent time clearing out Sherwood, my brother's place that had to be cleared out and put on the market ASAP. Eventually, I finished the Computer Bits column for January 2002 and got hold of Caroline and arranged a lunch date with her and Diane. I think I e-mailed the bday card to Diane because I don't have her address. I eventually dropped a note to Dorathy. Those Bhutan photos though ...

Times change.

Do I?

I'm thinking of doing the 43 Things thing.

Or not.

I certainly need to get to work on clearing out Dale and getting it ready for market and, having turned in the February 2005 column for Computer Bits, it's time to get to work on March and see what one-off articles I can flog to other markets. ... and, of course, work on the crime novel.

That short list I sent off to an old friend may be all the goal setting I'll do.

   posted by Sal Towse at  6:58 PM|| |