We all have those things that we “silently” put off. I like to call it the “silent to-do list.”
These are things that we keep tabs on - and frequently think about - but never quite get to. Maybe it’s an activity we yearn to do like learning a new sport, a tv show we have been meaning to watch, a room that needs cleaning, things that need to be organized, a place that we’d like to go see, or even cleaning out the gutters.
We often think about it but it’s easy to prioritize other things so we put it off because there’s really nothing compelling you to do it just yet. Still, it’s there and over time it takes up quite a bit of space in your mind as you revisit that thought over and over.
When you think about it, wasn’t that the way when you were using tobacco as well? Wasn’t quitting tobacco on your “silent to-do list” before you told yourself that this was it – you really needed to quit?
Now, as you consider the amount of time consumed in planning for and using tobacco, you find yourself with quite a bit more time now. And, while fall ushers in the changing colors, and with the end of the year quickly approaching, autumn often brings to mind that cyclical process of creating new habits and getting rid of old ones.
Perhaps it is time we started checking things off our silent to-do list. And, if completely accomplishing a specific item seems a bit daunting – perhaps just beginning to plan how you will do it can be accomplishment enough for now.
You may need to first research how to do it, or gather all the tools you will need, etc. Taking “baby steps” with this is all right as well. A byproduct of starting this process is that we may also begin to reduce that lingering stress and anxiety from the “guilt” of not getting to these items on our list in the past.
Remember: Beginning is a very good start!
As you begin your tobacco free life, is there something that’s been nagging at you for quite some time that you haven’t been able to get to? What is it? And how would you go about beginning to “tackle” that item?
