Backstory: This is so embarrassing. There are many things on my list that have been on there for more than six months.

As I sat at my desk and pulled this week’s Nudge, what is front of mind is the thing that has literally been in front of me for over a year: a map dated 1850 of my adopted city that was gifted to me, that I paid a small fortune to frame, that has been sitting on the floor of my office just in front of my desk, staring me down and basically saying “You loser! Please honor me, respect me, and enjoy me before I become just one other piece of junk that some niece or nephew (or stranger) has to dispose of when you’re gone!”

In other words: Hang that map!

What Happened: I finally pulled the tool box from the basement, attached the wire and hooks I bought from the hardware store ages ago, dusted the frame and Windexed the glass, and and…the beautiful map now has a permanent home in our living room for all to ooh and ahh over. Cool.

Meanwhile, I decided to address another overdue task. My beloved Gram left me her engagement ring…wait for it…in 1993. I’ve meant to do something with it. Several months ago I took it to a jeweler to explore turning it into a pendant, but they wanted more than it’s current value, which didn’t make sense. So again it sat in a bag, under a stack of papers, in a file folder marked “To Do.” After I completed the map hanging, I called the jeweler who made my wedding band. “Do you, by any chance…?” They do indeed, and for a very reasonable price. I plan to take the ring to them in the next couple of weeks, and soon I’ll be able to wear it.

The Ah-Hah: Two things: (1) Somewhere in my bowl of Nudges is “use the good silver” and “use the good china”. I am completely a believer that we need to use and enjoy, not hoard, our treasures, but I haven’t been good about walking my talk. But now, two items that are dear to me are off the overwhelming to do list and in my life. Wahoo! (2) No one is going to clear out the clutter for me, put things in their places, shred the old files, give away the stuff we no longer use (or that belongs only in the trash), or hang the pictures (and maps) that are precious to us. This is something I have to do. So bit by bit, task by task, I’m going to do this. I’m looking forward to the day when I can see—and feel—a big difference both from what’s no longer around us and what we’ve chosen to display.