Making a List

In an unusual turn of events, a trip with my daughter to a trendy clothing store also ended with a purchase for me!

A miscellaneous accessory bin had a notepad of pages entitled “Things You Do That Really Piss Me Off.” (copyright 2007 by Who’s There, Inc., http://knockknock.biz/) Clearly, this was too good to pass up. And at $7 for 60 pages, it was a bargain!

Beneath the title are four columns of behavior; about 60 items in each with a check-off box next to every one. The choices range from Roll your eyes to Lay on the guilt trip to Second guess everything to the ultimate – Exist.

The note pads thoughtfully include check-offs for larger themes like Sometimes or Please Stop and We’re Through. This way, the user can mix and match. Check Pick Fights and But It’s Cute and you send the recipient a much different message than Pick Fights and We’re Through.

It’s a no-brainer to see the attraction of such a product to adolescents and 20-somethings. The irony, the sarcasm!

But my old jaded eyes saw a self-assessment tool. Let’s flip the script: what behaviors do repeat that amount to self-sabotage and really Piss Us Off?

I’ve identified a few favorites for myself:

Don’t ask for help
Overpack
Blame yourself
Take if personally
Refuse to relax
Leave dishes in the sink

Sometimes? Most of the time? All of the time?

So many choices and combinations.

Even without the help of a preprinted checklist, we all have the ability to review those things we do to ourselves that REALLY PISS US OFF.

What’s on your list?