Jan

4

Baby Steps

January 4, 2007 |

For the last couple of days I’ve been working on the finances. The babysitter accepted the proposed payment plan and I made the first installment to her. I have been working fervently over my lunch hours formulating a plan and listing out step by step changes I need to make to improve our situation.

This is the easy part. I am really good at this type of analysis. I have no problems taking a situation, plan, process, you name it, and dissecting it and making plans for changes and improvements. I am not the type of person that thinks things should be done a certain way just because they always have been. I like change, change that I control, change that is still predictable. I could do this all day, every day.

I do think New Years gets a bad rap because it’s a good thing to stop and take a look at what’s working and not working for you. Even the things that are already working might stand a tweak to make them that much better. Really - it’s exhilarating! I think at least once every quarter throughout the year everyone should take a day or a weekend or whatever length of time the process deserves and re-evaluate things - finances, relationships, self-care, parenting, etc. - and see where improvements can be made.

But this is where I stall. I can plan and change and plan some more. On paper. I have notebook pages filled with ideas, plans, areas to work on all in SPECIFIC detail. But I have yet to act on any of it. The planning process has this crazy momentum. It speeds along at lightening pace. But then when I look at all of the pretty, organized steps and prepare to take one - I freeze.

So I guess my greatest challenge this year is going to be actually DOING something about my situation. I don’t need advice or ideas on what changes I need to make. I need a gigantic kick in the ass to actually get going and do something. Does anyone else have this problem? Am I just a gigantic wuss? How do you move from the planning phase to the action phase without getting stuck? I am not a very disciplined person - I need all the help I can get.


Comments

5 Comments so far

  1. Becky on January 4, 2007 11:14 am

    Baby steps are good! I, too, am a person that can plan and put all sorts of things onto a piece of paper. For years, I could never make myself act on them. Now, I have managed to accomplish many tasks that have put in black and white. So, good luck to you! I know how hard it is. Eventually you will get to where you can act out what’s on paper…just do it one thing at a time!

    Happy New Year, my friend! :)

  2. cassie-b on January 5, 2007 6:55 am

    Good luck. You’ve got the blueprint in front of you. Give it your best shot.

  3. Philip on January 5, 2007 9:02 am

    It’s the same with any endeavor, large or small. I have the same sensation when faced with a new sculpture. It’s very hard to get started. It even applies to moving a large, heavy piece of furniture: there’s a large initial shove necessary to overcome the inertial stasis. After that first huge shove, it slides across the floor easily.

    The first day, the first step, the first anything is always the hardest.

    So instead of looking at this great huge gigantic plan stretching from here to the end of your life, just look at item number one. Like when you mask out all the other words on a page to get your kids to focus on the one they’re having trouble with.

    Don’t look at the big picture, look at the first step.

    Complete item one, or work on item one on day one and worry about day two when it gets here.

    Go. Don’t argue, just go do it.

  4. Amy on January 6, 2007 5:19 pm

    No it’s not just you, I’m the same and once in a while I need a huge kick as well..

  5. Nancy on January 9, 2007 9:32 am

    I do - have the same problem. However, you are a few BIG baby steps ahead of me. We resolved to finally get ourselves on a budget this year … so … I have taken out all the bills, sorted and re-sorted them, made a list of what we owe, who and when …. and now …. nothing! A big fat pile of bills, a very neat and clear Excel sheet of numbers and dates … and there it sits on my table while I do nothing.
    **sighs, and goes back to blogging**

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