List-Shifting

 It's my spring break (in the form of a long weekend) and I've been making a to-do list for more than a week. Characteristically, the things on the list (which don't even include items from my work to-do list) will likely take more than a week to accomplish.

Call me an overachiever. 

Lots of the items on the list include things that don't need to be finished -- working on a jigsaw puzzle, taking time for writing and sketchnoting, reading for fun. Others sit squarely on the spend-some-time-on-it/finish-it line, threatening a sense of dissatisfaction unless I check them off the list completely. 

When it comes to those items, I have a choice. I can strike them from the list completely, determining that a break is not supposed to be stressful, or I can readjust my mindset.

So which is the answer?

It depends. Case in point. I had originally put "paint dining room wall" on the list. A few weeks ago, my husband and I selected some new colors that are way outside of our usual box. Before committing, I wanted to paint one wall and live with it for a bit.

Then, one day earlier this week, I found out that my husband would be working from home for part of this afternoon. I don't know why I feel the need to have an entire day at my disposal to paint this wall, but I do. After being grumpy for a while (I hadn't told him about the wall--I'd wanted it to be a surprise), I decided that the amount of brainpower (not to mention work) it would take to accomplish this task over break was sucking all the joy out of break. Since I didn't seem to be having much success in the "adjust my mindset" realm, I went a different way.

I took "paint dining room wall" off the break list and added to a Saturday list. Now, I also have the added benefit of finding a time to pick up the paint. 

I could have left that to-do list slot free, creating lovely white space where a task had been. But you know where this is going.

I added something new. Something less labor and time intensive. 

We've also been talking about replacing the floor in our bathroom. The current floor was ill-advised (I take full responsibility) and I'd love something new. So, instead of painting a wall, I'm going to go pick out floor samples. 

What does all of this have to do with organizing?

First of all, it's about organizing time -- free time, to be precise. In this overrated world of adulting, free time is a rare commodity. Personally, I protect mine with a fierceness usually demonstrated by animals in the wild. I'm very particular about what makes the cut (list) and what doesn't. And, once the list begins to grow, it's even more important to determine what should go and what should stay. 

Deciding this depends on how we want to spend our free time. Whether it's a few free hours or a few free days, we can opt for productivity, creativity, relaxation, or another option entirely. Personally, I usually have a bunch of things I want to do but never seem to find time for -- those are the ones that make the list and stay there. Then, I need to organize my time, my lists, and my priorities in order to spend that gift of time in the way that best suits me.

When it comes to organizing spaces, we need to do this same sort of list-shifting. Have a project that needs a big chunk of time? You can either set aside that big chunk or tackle it in small pieces.

Have several projects to tackle? (Don't we all?) Determining how the projects fit together in terms of importance, time commitment, desire, and urgency (to name a few) is key to making the most of the time we have. 

Our personal and organizational styles--along with our moods and energy levels--help determine the best use of our time. And, whether it's free time, found time, or a run-of-the-mill Saturday afternoon, we often have the most success accomplishing a task when our heart is really in it. Because we don't always have that luxury, we should take full advantage of it when we do.