What's your favorite AA "slogan"? Here's a take on "First Things First" from over 50 years ago - December 1949 Grapevine (the days before multi-tasking?)
FIRST THINGS FIRST!
They told me my first problem was alcohol itself and to forget everything else until I'd got it in hand. I followed the advice, and it worked! It's been years now since I've been bothered by any real urge to take a drink. But was that the end of First Things First? It was not!
In my daily affairs I can still manage to get as screwed up as ever. Even cold sober, I'm a bird predisposed to try to do six things at once. The result is that I burn up my energy and enthusiasm in confusion and destroy my ability to do any one thing well. If by chance I do manage to complete a task under such a multiple head of steam, it's a half-baked job. And me a perfectionist!
So, First Things First! AA has taught me to recognize my own confusion--say "whoa!"--stop and sort things out! Usually they are not very big things and sometimes I can't decide which should be put in the No. 1 spot. In that case I simply choose one, arbitrarily, and get on with it. This may be nothing more earth-shaking than tying my shoelaces before I buckle my belt. But it keeps me moving, clearing away the snags, big or little, as they come up!
As a principle it works equally well in my business, in my home, in all phases of my life. It keeps the slate clean and keeps my energy and what brains I have concentrated on actually getting something accomplished. In short, it keeps my thinking straight. And, going back to my first First Things First, as long as I'm thinking straight, I'm not going to take that first drink!
I have to write a list sometimes, and then remember to look at it first. As new things crop up you can always put them into the list or put them first. 10 little things are much worst then 1 big thing, for this alcoholic. I need direction. I can come to this desk to do paper work, and get lost. Might end up on this site or who knows!! Gotta look at the list and do #1, then I have a chance. It' real easy to get your self overwhelmed. FIRST THINGS FIRST-- EASY DOES IT. I was told one time, when things get going between your ears, picture a big STOP SIGN in your mind and then do it. STOP!!!, take a look and do one little thing. You know sometimes it has to be baby steps. Boy can I relate!!!
yeah, I always say that some day I am gonna get organizzed, but somehow.. things happen and I get sidetracked,,, or I get things out of order, and then, at the end of the day,,, I find I spent too much time playing yahoo games,,, and I didn't get my chores done. Or comes dinner time,, and I have delayed cooking till I am veryyy verrryy hungry, and then I just eat some chocolate and gain 5 lbs of useless fat while I feel no energy. One time I was sewing a pair of pants... from scratch I was trying to make them,,, and I guess I didn't look at it too closely, and I sewed the two front legs togetehr and had to rip it out. Another one is that I need or want something, and don't count my money and just splurge on it with my charge card, and then get stuck with interest payments that climb and climb as I can't pay the whole thing off.
I could go on and on about how I try to do the last things first, and skip the first things and end up with a mess. So thanks for the reminder,,, I can't get to my goal until I take that first step. That's like the 2 Steppers we see... that do Step 1 and then skip to 12 without doing the ones in between.
amanda
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do your best and God does the rest, a step at a time
Such a great topic & for me, First Things First has always been my favorite slogan. I must always remember that the most important thing in my life is not picking up that first drink. And then , when confuzzled, I can just wait for the right answer to come if I STOP , let the gremlins come in & out & then taking the next step is so much easier.
Here's a great AA story. A friend of mine who's been in AA for awhile told me about a friend of his came ot meetings but started drinking & almost lost everything. He's now in recovery again & has printed on his office wall - "LEFT" . Says as long as remembers the word LEFT, he's going to be OK. By using the 8-1/2 x 11" slogans sheets, LEFT stands for :
L ive & let live, Easy Does It, First things first & Think, think, think.
L E F T
Pretty cool, eh? ANd that's how we lay out the slogan sheets at our meetings. Always pick up another tool as we go along this way together. Thx for letting me share. - Pat B
multi-tasking?) 