Dear LPG, 

I am hoping that LPG have saved this message for March 24th although I have sent it in a bit earlier than that because on march 24th last year I read the message of the day on your website and actually took the advice offered.

The author suggested that a lot of us retirees don’t value ourselves as much as we should and that struck a chord with me.  I think that the younger members of our families think that we do nothing all day and every day after we have been retired for a while and just knowing that this is what they think can be quite a big part of the reason why many of us can feel left out of the family loop and superfluous to requirements.   That feeling does not help when it comes to remembering the positive things about your existence.  

NW pointed out that May 24th is celebrated as National Achievement Day and suggested that we try a ‘Personal Diary of Achievement’ to be reviewed one year on.   I did take on the challenge and start the diary thing.  

After a promising couple of weeks, there were quite a few days without an entry but the note book is now on my bedside table and it is the last thing I do each night.  There are some repeats; I started out with the days I went shopping or did the laundry, but when you think back at the end of the day you often have done a lot more positive things than you think.  Now, ten months on, there are quite a few days with two or three entries which far outnumber the days I missed.

Looking back, I have found entries about some of the really odd things that I have bought and when I bought them (and there have been a few).  I have a note of the day when I encouraged another of my friends to start coming to a day centre with me. I even have an entry for the day my one of my friends told me that I seemed more positive over the past few months and I can even add that I have written something that is on the internet (although LPG did the actual writing for me).  

Another thing that I have found useful is to add things that I want to do in the future in advance, in red pencil (just in case I have to rub them out). 

I think that it has definitely been therapeutic so at the on this National Day of Achievement which triggers another year I hope that a few more LPG readers have a go at making a list of their achievement.  As NW said last year, you will be surprised at all the positive things you achieve every day and which you never give a second thought to.   

CP, Brockley