Self Improvement

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow Love. Where there is injury, Pardon. Where there is error, Truth. Where there is discord, Harmony. Where there is doubt, Faith. Where there is dispair, Hope. Where there is darkness, Light. Where there is sorrow, Joy." -St. Francis of Assisi

I think I have found the key to my salvation ... lists. Yes, lists! I don't know if getting older makes me forgetful, or maybe I have some kind of pre-Alzheimer condition, or my unconscious mind is leaning towards the laziness my body insists upon therefor I "conveniently" forget to do things, but, I find if I make lists I feel less stressed. Part of that stress is trying to remember everything that needs to be done, thought about, taken care of, emailed, put away, cleaned, bought, replaced, etc and worrying that I've forgotten something that I'll remember at an innapropriate time (like..to buy toilet paper when I am out after I am already sitting on the throne doing my business.) And part of that stress is knowing I forgot something but can't remember no matter how hard I try.

So now I have a notebook just for my lists- lists of chores by most important and broken down room by room, lists of potential art projects and pictures I want to do, lists of things to do to take care of me, lists of people to email or call, lists of things I keep meaning to buy but never remember until I need them. And I feel so much better. Maybe I won't get them all done, but these lists helps me free up some mental chi so I can work on the things that make me the better person St. Francis hopes I will be.