Hitting the Delete Button

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Obviously, since my blog is entirely based on my quest to finish off a huge list of goals, I like lists. Actually I have always loved lists. Like as in, my sisters and I would take hours to create a beautiful attendance list when we played school. Well, it's more crazy than that, but that's all the crazy we need for one day.

Lists are great because they allow you to get everything out of your head and onto a piece of paper, which will hopefully allow you to actually remember to do them. I love the idea of a brain dump and do it often, whether it becomes a list of tasks, a list of great things I wish I did for other people, a list of great things I wish I did for myself, or maybe just a journal entry. Or maybe just a written down prayer. There have even been times in my life that I have written letters to Prince Charming to try to explain something. Sometimes you need to write it out.

But there is another great skill that needs to be addressed: the delete button. Deleting items can create a breath of fresh air in a busy life.


This is similar to saying no, but instead of saying no to others, you are saying no to yourself. You are, I am completely sure, way harder on yourself than others. People naturally compare their worst to others best, mostly because we are sure about what is the worst about us, and we usually don't know the worst about others. But even if you aren't comparing yourself to a real life person that you actually know, you might be comparing yourself to real live people you don't know, or simply an idea.

Have you ever compared your relationship to one on television? I once did this in a "discussion" with Charming and his response was "well yeah, if we had writers we'd always say the right thing too." He was so right.

Have you ever compared your job to one on TV? Are you missing the drama and excitement (ER anyone?), or the fantastic camaraderie (The Office?), or the riches they all seem to have (Gilmore Girls?). Again writers!

The point is that so many of us create our goals lists, or any list for that matter, with an idea of how we could be better, or what is missing from out life. But sometimes we are just wrong. Sometimes those things don't really matter to us, aren't helpful, and may actually be worse for us. And sometimes having a long list of things that we know we aren't going to do just makes us feel bad. Delete it! Get rid of stuff in your life that once seemed like a good idea, but is not just clutter and junk. Clutter and junk serves no purpose in our house and it serves no purpose on our lists or in our head.

So here is what I am deleting from my goals list today:

• 4. camp at 10 provincial campsites - number reduced to 5. 
• 6. complete 5 day hikes - number reduced to 1
• 8. go to a canucks game - we have moved. So if this happens, cool. I'm no longer worrying about it. 
• 11. take a spontaneous road trip - just took out spontaneous. Spontaneity is hard to plan. 
• 16. Find and complete a mensa quiz book. 
• 63. get a freezer
• 68. do detox a la "you are what you eat" - i don't own a juicer, and Dr. Gillian McKeith has been largely discredited anyways
• 75. lasik eye surgery 
• 78. make yoghurt - tried it and it failed. Prince Charming begged me to take this off the list. 
• 82. start composting - we don't have a garden. And Edmonton has one of the best waste disposal programs in the country. I'll let them do it for me. 
• 92. attend a youth workers conference 
• 93. go to camp once per year - we moved. I will just donate money.

Which items can you delete today? Please comment below!