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If I could change one thing about myself…

CONGRATS to Jane Dietz, who was the winner of the Chicks on the Case pin giveaway on last Friday’s group post!

This will come as a revelation, but none of us Chicks is perfect. That’s right, pick your chins up off the floor. We each have things we’d like to change about ourselves, starting with…

Vickie Fee

vickie

If I could wave a magic wand and make it so, I’d transform myself into an organized wonder. One of those people who has a place for everything and everything in its place, and a color-coded calendar with everything planned months in advance, a closet arranged by color and season, and—while we’re at it—an organized mind that outlines intricate plotlines before I write one word of a new novel. Some people, mostly people who already possess such powers of organization, will assert that I could become an organized person if I just resolved to do so. While that sounds good on paper, which in my case would probably be a torn scrap or a cocktail napkin instead of a gilt-edged planner— I don’t buy it. I believe there is an organization gene and you are either born with it or not. My brother and sister are both extremely organized, always have been. Also, they are both much taller than I am (see Kellye’s post). I simply didn’t inherit the tall gene or the organized gene. That’s my story (which I have not outlined), and I’m sticking to it.

Marla Cooper

CotC Marla Cooper

I did it again this week. I had a meeting with a new client, and I rushed around at the last minute, had to figure out what to wear when I realized my pants had a spot on them, left myself exactly the amount of time it would take to pull into the parking lot (not including parking), and trusted the GPS to lead me there but then wondered if I had put in the wrong address. Okay, so I got there right on time looking perfectly presentable, but I completely stressed myself out. Did I vow never to do that again? Nope. At this point, I know better. If I could change something about myself, this is what it would be. I would map out the address ahead of time. I would get my clothes ready the night before. And I would leave five minutes early — no, ten minutes! Even though I’ve vowed over and over again to do better, I literally did this on Tuesday of this week. The struggle is real, people!

Lisa Q. Mathews

CotC Word balloons

Oh. This is a tough one. So many things to change, so little time. I have a friend who packs self-improvement books to read on vacation. I so admire that but I used to edit them and I know they’re a total waste of  time in my case. I do try to minimize distractions (hey, look, Squirrel!) I try not to curse Marie Kondo. as I embark on yet another futile organization binge.  (Hey look! Tag sale!). But here’s one that i can’t ever change: i have “Irish Rose” skin that burns indoors. (Note: For my birthday, I would like a pink parasol.)

 Ellen Byron

11

Well, first of all, I’d change my age. I’d love to be thirty again and know then what I know now. Given that’s not going to happen, let me go through the list of things I’d change about myself and pick… patience. I’d get some. As my exasperated family could tell you, I’m notoriously impatient. I’m better now – which no one who didn’t know me previously would believe – but I could still use oodles more, especially on the roads in Los Angeles. I hear stories of road rage on the radio and think, uh oh, that could be me. First raging, then shot by the person I’m raging at. Deep breaths, Ellen, deep breaths before you press on that horn.

Kellye Garrett

6

This one was especially tricky to write. Mainly because the things I initially thought of (be 20 pounds lighter, stop procrastinating, etc.) were things I realized I could change! So instead, I’m going to go with something superficial (and completely out of my control). I would love to be four inches taller. I’m 5’4 in an immediate family where everyone else is at least 5’8. Growing up, I just knew I would be tall like my Dad (6’1), my mom (5’8) and my big sister (5’9). I never quite made it. It didn’t help that my younger brother turned out to be 6’1 and my younger sister topped out at 5’10. For once, I would love not to have to stand on my tippy-toes in a family pic (See pic below)! Apparently I have a “tall aura” because everyone always tells me 1.) I thought you were taller or 2.) I thought you’d be taller. Small consolation though!

family pic.jpg
You can clearly pick me out of the lineup in this pic of my Grandpa, Dad, little sister and little brother. And yes I am standing on my tippy toes!

Cynthia Kuhn

cynthiaOh, this is the kind of question that sends me spiraling. What would I like to change about myself? So. Many. Things. But for the sake of this post, I’ll just pick one at random: my tendency to start projects when I’m already working on other projects. For example, I’m looking for this one piece of paper, so I start moving things around on my desk, which turns into a Hey, I Really Need to Organize This so I clean the entire room and before long, I’m knee deep in colorful file folders sorting piles of papers I’ve set down to deal with later, but then I think You Know, I Really Need Somewhere to Put These, so an hour later, I’m at IKEA buying some kind of shelf thing (and while I’m there I probably end up browsing pillows or glassware as well). Long story short: all I needed was that one piece of paper but now I’m suddenly building furniture…

Readers, what would you change about yourself? If anything, because we know you’re (almost) perfect, too!

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28 thoughts on “If I could change one thing about myself…”

      1. Good one. I used to be very guilty of this, and gotten into a lot of trouble for it. Like so much trouble that now I really work on thinking before opening my ginormous mouth.

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  2. Well, I think you’re all perfect, but I loved reading these!

    Marla, I especially saw myself in your post. I am always running late and often end up arriving out of breath, sweating and some sort of coffee or taco-related stain on my clothes. But I’ve yet to amend my ways!

    Kathy/Kathleen

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    2. Taco-related stains?! YES! I’ve given up trying to change. My real takeaway from all of this is, “Mmmmm, I think I’ll have tacos for lunch.” 🙂

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  3. What would I like to change about myself? Absolutely nothing! I am perfect the way I am! 😝
    Ha! Gotcha!
    I do too much! WAY too much! But no, I’m happy doing too much, even though I never seem to get anything finished.
    I would lose 75 pounds. Nope. Not gonna happen. I should, but I like cooking and eating. It makes me happy. Fat is happy!
    What would I truly want to change? I have a German marine temper. I use it at the drop of a hat. NOT a good thing. Usually it’s in defense of myself. Like the time a “sister-Mary-so-and-so” at work ordered me to pull hundreds of documents for him at work when he has support staff in his office to do that. I told him it was not my job to be his secretary, I was a forensic accountant! He told me in no uncertain terms “that’s the easy part, I can do that myself! Pulling documents is your job!” “I quit!” I shouted, stormed out, went into the bathroom and cried. I trained 3 years for my job, he trained 6 weeks about my job, and he says it’s easy? I went back to the office and told my boss I will never work with him again. FYI, I found out he forged the work request for the assignment, filling out the work to be done after it had been signed by my boss!

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    2. Not to be an enabler, but sounds like he was 100% deserving of your temper!

      As for doing too much — I totally hear you! I always take on slightly more than I should, but when I cut back I feel bored. It’s what keeps life exciting! LOL

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  4. Stop being distracted by things so I arrive places on time without being stressed.

    And now that I’ve said that, I have to rush out the door so I’m only slightly late to day three of my new job.

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  6. I love you guys so much! I can relate to every one of your stories! I am the shortest out of my family, even out of my kids! If they don’t want me to find something, they just put it on the top shelf! I do get very nervous if I have an appointment somewhere and always get paranoid about being late or spilling something on my clothes. I get distracted when I go to find something and end up cleaning out a closet or reorganizing something! Patience? So not my virtue! I might, hopefully, be getting better as I age!
    I think I would like to better organize my time. I am so use to having a house full of people and now that I don’t, I am at a loss as to what to do sometimes. I do get tons of reading done, so it’s not all bad!

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  8. LOL, I can relate to all, but Kellye, I’ve been told all my life I have a “tall” voice – to the point where I’ve actually seen disappointed looks on people’s faces when 5’2″ me shows up!! Seriously! Like my voice lied to them and my height let them down. It’s insane – but totally true.

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  9. Sorry I missed this yesterday.

    Yes, I’d be about two inches taller. I was the short one in the family. But I am taller than my girl – she’s only 5’3″ and terribly upset she isn’t at least 5’6″ (and yes, the family abounds with tall people).

    I’d also obsess and worry less. But fat chance of that ever happening!

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