Procrastination (and the subsequent guilt and frustration which ensues) is one of my default behaviours. So it was a surprise to myself that, in recent weeks, I have managed to break the cycle and actually do some things.

Of course, there are some stubborn items which have been on the to-do list for years, like: "start swimming on a regular basis". So far, I have got as far as buying a swimsuit with legs (stripping down in public to a standard swimsuit (let alone a bikini) is something I just can't do right now - you know my issues) and have ascertained that, for a smaller fee than that charged by the municipal pool, I may use the facility at Big's school which only requires stumbling across the road. Until I broach the water, of course, this item will have to remain unticked for now.

Some of the things I have managed to do, though, are:

• Initiated car-sharing with my colleague who recently moved to the town where I live, thus immediately halving fuel costs and emissions, and reducing mileage-induced wear and tear. Simple, yet effective. Another advantage of this is that my colleague works a variety of "shifts", so whilst I must get up a little earlier sometimes (come the winter, I reserve the right to whine about this), I also get home earlier.
  
  
• Arranged an appointment at the car dealership to discuss downsizing my car to something more economical and eco-friendly. I'm quite interested in hybrid cars but because they are still so new, they are beyond my means at this time, so I will probably just go for something smaller and more fuel-efficient this time.
  
  
• Bought a new bed after probably a year of vaguely looking but never committing. This will put an end to the reign of terror of the current footboard, which causes the 6'3" Big much foot-based discomfort. Of course, the law of sod dictated that immediately after buying the bed, I spotted another suitable one in a different shop (a shop I had looked in on umpteen previous occasions to no avail) for considerably less money and which came with two matching bedside tables. Must learn to stop looking once I've bought - I am a long-time sufferer of buyer's remorse...
  
  
• Booked flights to Cyprus for Christmas. Big's mum and her sister (this one) have had a house built over there which is now ready to be... er... christened! And what better time than Christmas to do so! As ridiculous as this may seem, this is the first time Big and I will have been abroad together. Unless you count Scotland.
  
  
• Sent my cv speculatively to an employer based in my town. In pursuit of a balanced lifestyle, I wish to minimise the distance I have to travel to and from work, until one day my journey to work will entail "going downstairs".
  
  
• Arranged to have organic produce delivered by these nice people, something we've been meaning to do for a year or more. I have always hesitated, because they bring you seasonal produce which you may not have chosen yourself. Ultimately, though, we decided that it will do me no harm to broaden my culinary repertoire.

But did they really have to bring us bl**dy beetroot in our first box?