Reflecting and Prognosticating

For me, 2008 has been a very good year. I only “crossed” three things off my to-do list, enjoy the flower garden more, entertain more and bring new writing to my writers’ group, but, in 2008, I’ve finally become less distracted than I used to be. I can more easily cut off the outside world and come into my comfortable cave to write or to contemplate a single idea. I’ve been getting my “work” out of the way more quickly and now have time to read or create. Or nap. I practice focusing and am able to visualize with much less effort.

I’ve gleaned something from this visualization, something it took me half a century to realize. I’m much more likely to do something if it is specific rather than vague. “Exercise more” is less likely to get crossed off the list than “finish a marathon,” though, in my case, finish a marathon is unlikely to make the list in the first place let alone be crossed off. I’ve also realized that a complete list of all the things I hope to do ends up making me feel I’m pulled in a thousand different directions and that I’ve failed because I only accomplished three out of a list of many. So, though I’m not an Uber Frau, I can be a Wonder Woman (I’m still waiting on delivery of that order for an invisible plane and the bullet deflecting gold cuffs). Any who, I’m only listing two goals for 2009.

#1 Travel to a foreign country
#2 Write a book

Two items on which to concentrate my energies in 2009. I’ll let you know how it goes.