Getting to Your Forgotten To-Dos

We all have that one thing at the bottom of our list. The thing that keeps popping up over and over again and getting copied from list to list. My friend Karen Rizzo, author of “Things to Bring, S#!t to Do.” – an autobiography in lists, had ‘learn Italian’ written on the bottom of her list for years. Other people have different goals like learning a musical instrument or running a marathon.

Well now it’s crunch time.

The first thing you have to think about is – Do I actually want this? It’s fun to dream about learning a new language, but the reality is  — it takes a lot of time and work. Do you have that free time? It’s okay to let it go if you don’t. We can’t do everything.

But if you want to finally knock off that to-do — here’s a checklist to achieve your goals:

1. Research: You may need to find a teacher. Or if you’re trying to learn a language you could buy the Rosetta Stone DVDs.
2. Commit the time: How much time and practice are you going to need? For learning a new language you’ll want to block out at least an hour a week.  But if you’re learning to play piano you would want to block out 15 minutes to practice everyday.  Be realistic about what you’ll really need.
3. Block out that time in your calendar: Set an alarm and treat it like you would any other appointment. You wouldn’t cancel on the doctor or on a friend for lunch — so don’t cancel on your goals.
4. Tell a friend: If you have someone checking in on your progress you’ll feel more inclined to practice like you said you would.

If you’ve recently given up on your New Year’s Resolution I recommend going over this list and trying to get back on the horse. Just because you gave up it doesn’t mean you have to wait until next year to try again.

What have you been meaning to do but keep putting off?