Just do it

I read in a magazine today that writing a letter to yourself can be the best possible motivation. I figure that posting said letter for other people to read will especially give me the kick-in-the- ass I so desperately need.

Posted below is a letter from "organized me" to "indecisive me".

Is it completely cuckoo to talk to myself in second person? Perhaps. Anyway, let's test the theory that a letter to self can motivate:

Dear Indecisive Self,

"Just do it" ain't only a Nike slogan. It's time for you to "just do" something. Anything. Finish a project. Follow through on an idea. Step out of your comfort zone.

It's time to be more of a "doer."

Doers actually finish things on their lists, rather than just writing them down.

They don't waffle over the pros and cons indefinitely.

Instead, they come up with an idea, weigh the positives and negatives, make a decision, and follow through.

This sounds so utterly simple: think, make a decision, and follow through. Why do you have so much trouble getting to that last step? Instead, you endlessly trudge in that sticky "thinking-dreaming-worrying" stage. In fact, most of your current ideas have been like a treadmill workout: a lot of effort, but nothing is truly moving forward.

I think you know what I'm talk about. In May, the summer seemed to span out luxuriously, and you had so many plans! There were visions of learning to play tennis, taking more photographs, and planning travel adventures. You were going to cook new exotic dishes, conquer some fears, redo your office and kitchen, and start to make those big life decisions you had been putting off. In short, you planned on becoming a braver, fitter, greener, happier, more organized person by the end of August.

Not that you had high expectations or anything...

Now, obviously all of the things on this wish list were not going to happen, but it would have been nice to start on a few of them. Instead, you keep gathering ideas that go nowhere.

Case in point #1: How about those cookbooks you checked out from the library? Remember all the time you spent vetoing recipes with expensive ingredients and weird flavors that Dan might not like? I really thought that you were on to something when you bookmarked several pages. The current status of this goal? You have not attempted to cook a single dish. The cookbooks are now accumulating late charges every day. We could have bought a used cookbook with the $10 we'll end up spending when you finally return them.

Case in point #2: you started to re-do the office weeks ago. It's still not finished. The rest of the upstairs still looks like crack addicts live there. There are tools, paintbrushes, papers, school books, and boxes everywhere. I haven't seen my hardwood floors in a very long time.

Must. complete. office. to. get. upstairs. back....

Yet, even after stubbing your toe on above mess when getting up to pee in the night, you still haven't finished the office. Instead, you keep ruminating about every decision to be made:
* Etsy prints, or wedding photos? * Keep fan and add a new shade, or try a new piece all together? * More boxes? Use what I got? Time to clean out closets? Ooh, let me go do this right now! If I could only reach my closet...

Enough. You're not designing the Oval Office. It's time to "get 'er done".

You're lucky that Dan thinks the whole situation is hilarious. When you endlessly deliberated over paint shades, he just chuckled and whispered in your ear, "Paralysis by analysis again, huh?" There's got to be one sane partner, and gosh-love-him, I guess he's it.

Case in point #3: Uh, only the rest of your summer list!

I'm intervening for your own good. If you can't make a decision on which camera to buy before your trip (next week, by the way!) or whether you should attempt to make paella, how are you ever going to make bigger decisions? I want you to actually see Italy, not just dog-ear Fodor's travel books. You and Dan have talked about getting a dog for two years now, even going so far as to picking a cute, Beatles-inspired name. Lennon isn't going to bring himself home from the SPCA! You've got to make it happen. And don't let me even bring up the huge life decisions that you'll need to make someday...

Maybe this "tough love" approach isn't totally fair. You've been working four days a week at summer school, and basking in the joys of summer the rest of the time. I'm actually okay with that! You deserve those trips to Coldstone's for a cone, the walks around the neighborhood, the trip to Great Falls (see above pic), and the lazy afternoons by the pool. I don't mind you not accomplishing things you are, say, laughing over The Office re-runs with Dan or having lunch with friends. What I do care about is when you obsess over something rather than daring to make a decision.

I'm officially outing you in the hopes that you will make things happen. And if I've got to blackmail you, so be it! Finish at least one thing tomorrow, or I'll post the photos of the disgusting mess in master and guest bedroom! Do you want the entire blog world to see this?

That's what I thought.

Love,

Organized Me