That’s always the tough one. Especially when my 2013 list is as crazy and overreaching as it is. It can also lead to a recursive loop.
If I’m a writer, than writing should probably be at the top of the heap. And it’s also the thing to be most avoided. I’ll put it at the top and try to develop some strategies around it later.
As for what comes next, it might help to choose the items most onerous or requiring the most lead time and schedule those up front. Call it the inner Obama. It’ll take 3 years to get out of Iraq, so you have to start the process on Day 1. And if you don’t start the withdrawal that first year, you won’t see your peace dividend before year 6. And you have to reform health care in the first half of your term because you won’t have enough political capital left in the second half.
So in my case, what long term investments should I make right out of the starting gate? What are the most onerous things? And which require the most lead time?
The answers are clear, though not entirely self-evident:
- Get organized
- Take care of dental work and health stuff.
- Help secure Natwani funding
- Fence train the dog and reign in the chickens.
My rationale:
I haven’t been to the dentist in years. Some of my cavities have been cooking in my mouth since 1997. And for me the possible ramifications are severe. My resistance to dealing with this stuff is huge. And the victory if I take care of it first is commensurate.
I helped start the Natwani Coalition in 2004. They’re doing incredible work, and yet their last cycle of grants is running out and they may need to shutter their doors. The funding will require at least a 6 month lead time.
Lastly, I spend a disproportionate amount of time chasing down our chickens and dogs as they roam the neighborhood. I’ve learned a lot about the habits of chickens and dogs, but I really need to be using that time to do something else.
Okay. Time to tackle them one at a time.
Snowflakes Edge 
“Well, you have to have eye discipline,” Fisher said. “Any time you have moving parts, any time you bring something in front of you, just like when you’re driving, if somebody flashes a hand in front of you while you’re driving down the road it makes you blink, it makes your eyes distracted and you get off of what you’re looking at and then at the same time they become very physical with how they play, and you get yourself out of position, they knock you out of the way, and there’s a four, five, eight, 10 or they break a run right up the middle.”