Have You Ever Wanted To Just Be Done With Stuff? Here's An Idea!

It's Time To Do My Annual 2017 "I'm Done" List

Every year a friend, of about 10 years, and I get together for our annual “I’m Done” list.  This list, when finished, is comprised of all the things we’ll be done with by the end of the following year.  I’ve been told by my friend that this list has helped her be stronger person over the last 8 years we’ve been putting these lists together for ourselves.  I have to agree, making a list with someone can help make me accountable for what I say I'm going to do.  Goal setting with accountability!

We always plan to do our "I'm Done" list about a week before the new year.  The day starts with a celebration champagne cocktail before we start.  Then we open our little spiral books and click on our pens.  We read aloud, each of us taking turns, what we wrote the previous year for the current year.  Some of the things we previously wrote were funny but most were serious.  A few things we wrote down had to do with what we were going to say or not say anymore.  For example, if someone were to ask us to explain what we meant by no?  We were to say “no is a complete sentence.”   Because both of us have a hard time saying no or we’re not quick enough to make up an excuse if we don’t want to do something we wrote it down our list.  If someone asked us if we wanted to go to a movie and we didn’t want to, we’d say “I have a deadline” or “I’m exhausted” or “I’m booked that day.”  We tried to convince ourselves that being honest and up front was the way to go but if we couldn’t do it?  A lie was better than hurting the feelings of friends so the list of excuses was born and incorporated into the “I’m Done” list. 

After reading through the prior year’s list we would then go back to the beginning of the list and begin the hard part which is talking about what on the “I’m Done” list did we accomplish this year.  It was hard the first couple of years to accomplish the many goals we set for ourselves.  Quitting Multi Vitamins, Nylons, Antibacterial Soap, Cheapskates, Bad Bras were a few of the easy things.  But others were more difficult to accomplish like:  Done with self righteous people, Satan, airline layovers, abuse, alcoholics, cell phone plans, living in altered reality, drama and white trash.   We say some were more difficult to overcome and accomplish because some of our relatives are alcoholic, some abusive people have been best friends, layovers we really can’t help unless we book a nonstop for more money and Satan?  Well sometimes he just pops up when one least expects it and we’re both in agreement he’s too quick for us to think fast and verbally abuse him .  One minute he’s there, the next second he’s gone.  One of the easiest to conquer has been “People Who Look Like Birds”.  We both have had no problem quitting them.

It’s time to get together before 2017 for our annual “I’m Done” party.  

We’ll read through our list from 2016, have some mimosas and laugh.  Especially when I say “2016 was a good year and it was easy to be done with crazy people, rubber gloves and bad bakeries, shitty waiters and mice.  I conquered!”  My friend will roll her eyes, read through what she accomplished and we’ll laugh again.  

  

And yes, I’ll have to repeat some of last year’s goals and try again in the new year to be done but practice makes perfect.  The real fun of the “I’m Done” list is getting together with my friend.  What a way to begin the new year!