The Kat Files

Alas, dear reader, the 5th month of the year is in the bag. I’m looking forward to the next two months of the summer. I have scheduled a few routine doctors’ appointments. June promises to be engaging with an acting workshop on the first four Saturdays of the month, a local play, a concert in NOLA, and my annual scrapbook convention. In between all the social activities, I plan to spend time with friends and family, exercise, read, and knock out some of the items on my 19 for 2019 list. I’m blessed!

Speaking of my 19 for 2019 list, I have crossed off a couple of items.

#3 Get a colonoscopy. During spring break, I had my first colonoscopy. Four polyps were discovered, removed, and sent off for testing. My test results came back negative; however, my doctor wants me to get another colonoscopy in three years. Surprisingly, except for the SUPREP that I had to drink, the procedure was not bad at all. Next time, I will ask for a different prep because the SUPREP was disgusting, and I vomited the second dose. I strongly encourage everyone who turns 50 (unless you have family history that requires it earlier) to have this procedure done. My friend’s husband put it off until he was 59 and only did it because his father was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. His results came back cancerous and part of his colon had to be removed.

#14 Buy a new bed for master bedroom. Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Rooms To Go had a sale on beds, so my hubby and I took advantage of the sale and bought a new bed. Technically, we bought two beds. We purchased a Serta iComfort king with an adjustable base. However, with the recommendation of my BFF Shelly, we opted for each of us to have our own adjustable base to fit our own level of comfort. Therefore, our king bed is really two Twin X beds pushed together. And, no, neither one of us has fallen into the crack where the two beds meet. We still need to buy a headboard/footboard since our previous bed was a queen.

#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. This month I read Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam. As most of you know, I struggle with time management; therefore, any chance I get to pick up some good advice on this topic, I’m game. Vanderkam is all about tracking time which is extremely beneficial when you want to see how you are REALLY spending your time. We all (myself included) like to say we are busy; however, that is a story we like to tell even to ourselves. I found her “three versions of the self” interesting. She describes each version: “The anticipating self is wondering about, planning, and worrying about the future. The experiencing self is in the here and now. The remembering self thinks back to the past” (Vanderkam, 70). The anticipating self sets our intentions or goals while the remembering self reflects on the fruits of our labor. Our experiencing self follows through or falls through with plans, intentions, or goals depending on the circumstances or feelings in the present moment. My experiencing self gets in my way of taking action on a regular basis. It is pals with FEAR and PROCRASTINATION which has robbed me from realizing a few goals or pursuing a couple of dreams. This is my year to COMMIT, so in order to take more action and waste less time, I need to commit to listening less to my experiencing self, plan the task/event, and execute.

I have always loved the idea of a clean slate; the end of one month and the first day of the next month make me giddy with anticipation. I have many wonderful events planned in June, so I hope my experiencing self is up for some enjoyment and cuts ties with fear and procrastination. In addition, I need to commit to saying “I’m busy” or “I’m tired” less which will make my remembering self happier. Happiness!

“Whether I do anything today or not, eventually I will be on the other side of the next twenty-four hours. It can be filled with “nothing” (in this case, meaningless somethings), or it can be filled with something more intriguing.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done