I have a friend who used to say, “Handle your business!!” in a loud, drill sergeant-type way, usually directed at his kids, usually when they were trying to tattle on each other about whatever insignificance was annoying them at the time. Of course, their solution was to annoy their dad, who had nothing of it, by telling them to handle their business/ take care of it themselves. I still giggle when I hear this voice in my head when I’m ‘handling my business.’
What exactly do I mean by “handle your business?” It’s simply cleaning up or dealing with whatever needs to be dealt with, so you have more mind-space (or energy) & can focus on other things.
What are the things you think about over and over again, your recurring themes? Do you have a decision to make? Is there something that you continuously push aside? Maybe you forgot about it, but oops, there it is again.
As I’ve mentioned, September is an excellent month for a fresh start. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how much I love to journal. So, one way for a fresh start with efficiency is to discover these recurring themes by reviewing your journal & writing a “handle your business” list.
I did this today, reviewing my journals from this past year to see: What has been niggling at me? What needs to be taken care of? What decisions am I avoiding or not making? What have I been pushing aside or ignoring?
A few examples: keep Max active- when he doesn’t run enough, he drives us all nuts, so, today, I made a note to stay better on top of this.
Another, it’s helpful to remember that getting out of the house is good for me. I can grab a coffee or visit the local library (and this will be even more important during our colder months when I tend to hunker down).
Finally, even something simple, like- it’s September, so I should keep an extra layer of clothes in the car.
Reviewing your journal/s is an easy way to create a list of ‘business to handle,’ but don’t forget lists aren’t helpful unless you take action. So, what ‘business’ are you willing to handle today to set your future self up for success?
