It’s the end of November.  I didn’t realize that until my girlfriend Alexis posted this on Facebook: “Tomorrow is the first day of Dec and the end of the year is near.  What’s left on your 2011 to-do list?”  What happened to hump day lightness?  What a loaded question!

That question leads me to a list. Here are the top seven things I would like to do before the end of the year.  I went with seven to honor the last month of my thirty-seventh year.

1. I need to make my mom’s birthday gift and figure out gifts for Christmas.  (I’ve been struggling with what to buy, and I was reminded yesterday that the very best gifts are not those we buy.)
2. I want to finish my girlfriend Erin’s Ironman photo book.  (Again, this is something that makes me happy because her half-Ironman book was a big hit, and because she smoked Ironman Canada this year.)
3. I need to update my Quickbooks file for Ready Pen Productions.  (This is a task for which I am completely grateful because (a) it means I finally starting my writing business this year and (b) I have income and expenses to report.)
4. I need to finish my website for Ready Pen. (My web designer has all the structure in place and came up with a fun concept, but I need to write the text.)
5. I want to load all my music on my computer so I can get rid of my cds.  (I’m thinking about asking my niece or nephew to do this for me. They are young and smart and super tech savvy.  That’s a good Christmas vacation job, no?)
6. I need to do a massive cleaning of my car and house, including cleaning out closets and drawers and such.  (I’m a big believer in reducing down and throwing out all the unnecessary stuff and trash so that I start the new year lighter and cleaner. Plus, my cousin’s kids complained over Thanksgiving about my car being dirty.  If little boys think it’s dirty, it must be really dirty.)
7. I need to create my 2012 goal list.  (This is my favorite part of new years.  I loveplotting, scheming, planning and dreaming big.)

It sounds like a lot to me, especially considering that it’s quite possibly the busiest month of the year with various parties and gatherings and concerts and such. Plus, I need to keep working out and working and somehow still find time to sit and read books and watch movies. Is it too much? I might say so except that not one of these tasks feels like a chore. Each thing on the list is something I want and that matters to me.

I agree with my high school classmate Lindsey when she says, “We protect fiercely time for those things and people and events we truly value.”  I am adopting that statement for myself.  No more excuses about being busy and such.  I protect fiercely time for those things and people and events I truly value.