January Is The Month Of Lists

January is the month of lists, everyone is slowly crossing off (or out) their new years resolutions.

Women everywhere are keeping food diaries, brand new notebooks encourage the neatest hand writing, everyone has a plan, a new year goal, probably the same one as last year forgotton come May. As a listomaniac, January is a good month for me and I had my first session of CBT yesterday (first session, second time around) and my homework - yes homework, this is why I chose CBT over psychotherapy because I love being given homework. I don't necessarily do it but thats not the point - which was to write not just one list, but four, FOUR! I nearly tipped him an extra tenner. The list goes as follows..

1 - Write a realistic list of your short term goals

2 - Write a realistic list of your long term goals

and here's the fun part..

3 - Write an unrealistic list of you short term goals

4 - Write an unrealistic list of your long term goals

I literally ran out of that practice in Hackney, jumped on the Overground to Stratford and sprinted into John Lewis in Westfield Shopping Centre - which by the way is amazing, I've enjoyed having panic attacks in there more than anywhere else - and bought myself a brand new red leather CBT notebook. I did however go through the usual twenty minute to make a decision on the moleskin or not as there was a difference of three quid, go to the bar - yes they have a bar(s) - spend eight quid on two drinks deciding that an extra three pounds is two much and went back and bought the other.

When I got home last night, swaying, but still buzzing from list opportunity, I suggested to my partner that we write our own list of things we like and don't like about each other.

He didn't share my enthusiasm.

Good luck with your lists this month. x