My "To Do" list just keeps growing.

It doesn't help that I got this great little program called "Dossier" by Vortimac which lets me not only create a "To Do" list, but allows me to cross refer folders and documents and link to any other document in my computer or a web page or anything. It actually lets me write this journal entry then post it in one wee click.

So I've spent a lot of time entering up my whole life into this program. All my projects. My writing projects. The Writing Courses we give each year. The websites I'm responsible for keeping updated. The publicity and promotion schedules for Le Chef and moi. Finally I've found a place where I can file all my usernames and passwords (and encode them!) so that I can remember how to access all those sites I need to access to get stuff done. I can note the things I've done, the things I'm waiting for people to reply to, the things I have to follow up, the deadlines. It's fantastic.

In fact, if Rob Minerick, the designer of Dossier is listening, I've thought of a couple of refinements for the next release... if you could just get it to load up the dishwasher and the washing machine, and fix it so that I can turn them on from my study it would just about have my life completely under control.

That's the trouble, you see. For a while I was overwhelmed with all the things I had to do and felt that everything was out of control. Then I discovered Dossier and it helped me to really get everything organised. Suddenly I had a "To Do" list that brought everything together in order of priority, and allowed me to click immediately to the relevant documents and get to work.

In theory.

In practice... the more I add to the list, the more I think of more things to add. In fact, I'm beginning to think that I don't actually do anything except add to the "To Do" list.

It's beginning to seem more like a "Wish" list. I think the tell-tale sign was when I noticed that item 45 on the list was World Peace. I know, now you're thinking I'm crazy. I can hardly believe it myself, but yes, it's true, there are actually 44 things in my life which take priority over World Peace. No-one understands the kind of pressure I'm under.

People think - yeah she moved to this rural idyll in France, I bet all she does all day is look out of the view across the valley from the window of the study at the top of her tower and drink wine.

Well that's just not true. I drink wine out on the terrasse, in the garden, in the dining room, in the sejour, but never in my study.

The truth about this damn list is, I think it's really an... "I Wish Someone Would Come Into My Life And Do This Stuff For Me" List.

So I wondered... if I used my journal to keep tabs on what I did each day, would I achieve more? Because then I would be able to look back and see - oh yes, that's where the last year went...

And that's why "Keep my Journal up to date" found it's way to the top of the "To Do" list. So there we have it. And at least that's something I can score off the list.

And with a sense of real achievement I can also report that World Peace has now moved up to Item 44.