Turns out the eye problem was an early case of pink eye and my doctor's office gave me an ointment for it.

Susan, that's a great idea about the highlighter on the bills. Several times I accidentally paid the wrong amount (adding the penalty because that was the most prominent number). I got credits, that wasn't a problem, but it's better to get it right the first try. Highlighter would fix that.

I want to report a little about this book Getting Things Done (mentioned above). I haven't named the author because you can look her up, but I kind of want this thread to fly under the radar, if someone "out there" Googles the author. The title alone is less likely to pull this to the top of a search; Amazon has that covered.

As I read this book I'm realizing that our almost-two years of decluttering intentions, while they do represent real progress, also illustrate classic procrastination scenarios. We all know that, and that's a feature of procrastination for most people, they're aware to some extent that this is going on. The author notes that the term itself has a negative connotation, akin to "lazy," but it isn't the same thing in any shape or fashion. We're always busy, but often the things keeping us busy aren't what we really need to do.

This book approaches procrastination from a perspective called cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT. IT is a type of psychotherapy that has been proven effective in the treatment of a variety of disorders such as depression and anxiety.

The anxiety we feel regarding things we know we should have done is self-inflicted, though there are many times when we know we can get away with procrastination and there are few or no consequences. That doesn't mean we aren't bothered by it. We pay a late fee, turn a paper in a little late. The IRS gives you an extension if you haven't finished your taxes in time, etc. Though we can get away with it a lot, we keep reminding ourselves of our own shortcomings until these tasks are finished. (These are examples she gives.)

The first chapter asks the question "Why Do I Procrastinate?" and gives us a look at what happens.

Procrastination occurs when you start a task like paying your bills and the nfind yourself cleaning out a drawer instead. It's also those times when you find yourself spending more time getting ready to do a task, like straightening up your office before you work, than actually doing the work. It is like driving down the road toward your destination then turning off in another direction at the last moment.

"Procrastination is a roadblock on your life path. It slows your progress and sometimes takes you off course altogether."

Hitting the snooze button repeatedly, but then having your brain race as you think about all of the stuff you have to do during the day. There is a level of that "guilt and self-loathing" that goes on. "While we are procrastinating we are watching ourselves do it. We are criticizing the behavior. We are filled with guilt for putting things off.

There are a series of small quizzes (five questions each) that help you see where you do it most, a little, or at all, and when I run that quiz I see that I need to work on most, but not all, of this. This is a problem. The book is broken down into chapters based upon the sections of the quiz; I think that if I work through the shortcuts she offers to start changing my behavior that it will impact more than one category at a time. (The quizzes are General Characteristics, Avoidant Type, Disorganized Type, Self-Doubting Type, Interpersonal Type, All-or-Nothing Type, Pleasure-seeking Type).

Where does this take my decluttering? It means I need to look at my lists, and not simply stop at making the list. And I need to tackle some of the bigger things without letting the little ones distract me. It means taking strategies I've figured out for myself and learn how to make them more effective. And I think it means drawing better lines between work time and non-work time. It all tends to be work time.

SRS