Sunday, September 28, 2008

I have too much going on...

Has it been two months since I blogged here? I know I have blogged here and here and here since then. I know, 4 blogs, am I nuts? Yes, actually, but I am trying to maintain on several fronts to open doors in future areas. Nuts, I know.

However, I am attempting to leverage the great web 2.0 technologies I talk about day in and out to help me. I am also focusing on things I know work (that are not revolutionary) to help as well. So here goes:
  • Finish going through the rest of my house and declutter (I actually did a lot this summer). Have 3 bins: Trash, Donate, and Maybe (sell or donate is probably where they will go)
  • Create a no distraction zone - it was the couch but the TV sometimes interferes, it can be the breakfast counter (my last use was the time I fell off the bar stool - don't ask - and was in a cast for 6 weeks), it can be my craft room provided I follow the next step...
  • Use Remember the milk to automate my schedule for keeping the house clean (and my craft room). I currently have tasks set for each day - it is easier to keep the house clean this way instead of spending a whole weekend morning. I am also learning to put in even small tasks to manage business, home, and work items that need to be done. The little woohoo messages they give you as you cross items off your list is great too!
  • Make a short list of 4 or 5 things I love and include one a day
  • Single task - I really thought I was good at multitasking but that is not the case. Spend enough time to get to a certain point and then put aside for review if not possible to finish. (If my work makes me think of an idea for another project, note it but do not go and work on that one too.) Add also that this task should be timed so loss of focus does not increase time spent on it.
  • Start my day with peace. I try, and I actually get there a little bit. After my husband leaves and the dogs have been fed and potty-ed, I may read, sit in silence with coffee, mull the news, read blog posts, exercise, etc.
  • Eat nothing from a box - okay we aren't counting cereal, but eating whole foods makes you think twice about what you eat and is not so ready that you grab without thinking. Don't ask my kids or husband what they think about this.
  • Go paperless. I am close to this. Need to automate a few more things but sometimes it is necessary for me to print off in order to read and mull over properly.
  • Have 3 tasks for the day. Tough for me. I generally think I can get 20 things done in a day. Realistic until family, students, and others start interacting. I think i can handle this and perhaps create a maybe list in case extra time comes my way.
  • Get rid of two things for every new thing that I bring in to my house (exception: food. We have to. We live out of town, can get really poor weather in winter, and I have a large pantry for storage). This will help with the first strategy.
These are not new or revolutionary but a focus on these may make a difference in my ability to manage tasks and time. Do you do any of these strategies and how do you feel about them?