energy leak
September 19, 2007
above illustration for Information Security magazine
My to-do list is separated into different categories: today, this week, this month, long term. (How very virgo, huh?) I go through the dailies and weeklies with no problems really. But there is one thing on that list that was ALWAYS present. I read it every day — and every day I got a little sick feeling in my stomach.
It was updating my book-keeping for my business. You know… the oh-so-fun task of logging receipts, checks, bills, and payments. Putting them all into “the system” and then filing them away until tax time. Gosh, I wonder why I am not jumping on doing that. :( Boring!
Well, it’d been since February that I last logged a receipt. I just kept putting papers in an ever-growing, to-be-filed folder. And the thicker the folder got, the more I dreaded it. And the sicker I felt.
But (as usual) I was thinking about balance and how I spend my energy; and this long overdue book-keeping kept coming up as a red flag… I thought: Man, I waste a LOT of energy dreading that. What if I stop procrastinating and just spent a little time getting it up to date. Then I could let it go and stop that energy leak. Doing weekly maintenance is much easier than dealing with yearly disaster.
So I finally tackled it.
It took nearly a whole day to do it — recording everything and reorganizing the filing system to make it easy to maintain. And afterwards? Oh… I feel so much better. There’s no pile giving me the stink eye and poking me with its bony finger. No sense of dread or feeling like I’m neglecting a part of my business. Way mo’ bettah.
Is there something you’ve been procrastinating that you could finally address and let go of? Something that, once done, will feel like a weight has been lifted from you?
September 19th, 2007 at 8:43 am
I hired a bookkeeper and I feel SO MUCH BETTER knowing someone else is taking care of it. Kudos to you for figuring it all out yourself!
LOVE your illo. I think it is one of my faves.
September 19th, 2007 at 9:03 am
having a pile like that can be an emotional drain. glad you conquered it!!!
September 19th, 2007 at 9:20 am
hey girl, congrats on getting up-to-date with your book-keeping. i recently did the same. really, though, my whole life got easier when i entered the “Quicken” world for my business (and personal) finances a few years ago…everything is categorized and oh-so organized. makes the quarterly and yearly tax moments a lot easier…the other thing that drastically helped was a simple accordian folder divided into months–whenever i have a receipt or incoming paystub, it goes into that month, and i sort them (and quicken) once a month. and wallah! a sigh of relief… besides that, i’d have to say sanding and painting the trim on the house is way more of a stacking stresser…hehe. hope yer well. xojenny
September 19th, 2007 at 9:45 am
you too? oh i am so happy to know that i am NOT
the only one. my desk is a disaster.
i was so bummed that i missed your show. gabe turned 16 and i had to play good mommy and make the day about him - not me….damn it! maybe next time. i am sure it was grand.
September 19th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Good for you. I think it’s interesting that procrastination is nothing to do with laziness like everyone thinks it is, but rather to do with fear. I keep putting off phone calls because i don’t really like speaking on the phone. This probably has to do with an ex of mine, who literally ran from the phone when it sounded because it was mostly bad news. I think I absorbed the fear somehow.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Yes! That item was taking care of my finances and making a budget. Next on the list is backing up all my music on my computer… Good for you!
September 20th, 2007 at 12:43 am
good for you, things like that really lift a weight! and thanks for that prompt! i’m work-free until this afternoon, but i’m on the computer as a way of avoiding my studio and terrible desk mess…i really don’t know where to begin, and it keeps eeking its way into my mind that i really should go do it, but i keep finding good excuses! i take this as a mini-sign that i shall now switch off the computer, stand up and go face the desk! have a good day!
September 20th, 2007 at 7:33 am
Always an awesome feeling to get something like that taken care of. I just finally got my promo cards done, and that was a big weight off my shoulders. Been procrastinating that for awhile.
September 20th, 2007 at 8:17 am
I have been procrastinating the very same thing. I have a drawer full of receipts.
I also have been avoiding the gym. It’s been a few weeks and so I feel like it’s really gonna suck when I go back, so I’m not going at all. Which of course makes it even worse for when I do go back… feeling very guilty about that.
Thanks for the kick in the pants (which are fitting too tight today). x
September 20th, 2007 at 8:18 am
P.S. Cool illo!
September 20th, 2007 at 9:14 am
totally needed this post. Thank you.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Fabulous!!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Hooray for you!
Do you have a system you like for your to-do lists? I am always inventing and re-inventing my systems, but the organization dork in me is never satisfied…