From SHE's:
The basic items you will need at first are pens/pencils, notebook and yourself. Draw a line down the page about 2/3 of the way over. Write to the left of this line. Start either at the end of your sidewalk, the entryway or some other place in your home. Write down EVERY thought that comes in to your head, including I HATE the color of the front door. Or I HATE IT when... or I MUST GET a letter off to... Going through your house all sorts of thoughts will surface. (I keep this notebook by my bed and if I am having trouble sleeping, I write every thought that comes in my head down) The first time, limit yourself to 45 minutes or you will be exhausted and you will have hand cramps. I then spend 45 min. a day until I am through the house.
Now sit down with a pad of 3x5 notepaper, a stack of 3x5 cards (if you only have white get some crayons or marking pens and mark across the top to color code them). Go through your notes and in the right hand column mark whether it is a JOB that needs to be done, a DEED that needs to be done, (a DEED is something like a letter, phone call or gift, a JOB is like scrubbing the grunge off the door around the door knob), a BOUNDRY issue, a MONEY issue or a PERSONAL issue. For the JOBS and DEEDS determine if they are one time or reoccurring items. If one time put them on 3x5 pad, if reoccurring put on 3x5 card. Now file them according to your plan.
Now is that awful time to consider a longer plan than a BWP, Try to give each month or quarter a focus, such as FRIENDS or ROMANCE or THANKFULNESS. Say May is your REMEMBRANCE month, file the card that says WRITE to HS friend Judy, in May The other three issues have a bit more thinking to do about them. A BOUNDRY issue deals with determining who really owns the problem or if you are being treated like a doormat. Each of the issues gets their own card.
Say the issue is you want a new recliner and don't have the money for it. Write NEW RECLINER on a card and write all the reasons that you want it on the front of it, now turn the card over and write all the things that you can do to save the $200 you need for it, such as put $10 a week from grocery fund away, put all bottle deposit money in the fund, etc. put this with your daily cards. Just putting it in writing will help you achieve the goal, keeping it with your daily mean that you will get reminded WHY you are watching your pennies. I got a complete 386SX-computer system this way (one card for each part of the computer-literally, case & power supply, motherboard, monitor, each card, etc.) I could find the $35 for the controller card but the thought of $600 for the computer was too big! Some of the personal issues may need extensive thought, like Pam Young’s desire to be organized enough to get a divorce, but just writing them down and adding them to your cards helps.
There will be some items that need to be put on an immediate action list, such as you are out of stamps, almost out of favorite makeup, you have 7 library books that are overdue and this is forgive the fine if you bring in canned food at the library month. (Does anyone else's library have this??) This card goes in the very front of your file and every time you head out the door to go anywhere, grab it, read it and put it in your purse, that way when you come out of the grocery store and say "I know that I needed to do something else, what is it?" you remember to go to the Post Office for stamps rather than the fabric store for browsing!
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