3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Coping with a To-do List that Runneth Over

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Earlier this week, I wrote a post at the Porch Swing Chronicles about lists and priorities. More philosophical than practical, it encapsulated the attitude I try to have on those days when the list gets ditched for other things.

But what about the days when time stretches out before you, but your list still seems too long? Time isn't the issue -- or not the main one anyway -- but you just keep getting in your own way.

What then?

Here are a few things to try on those days when procrastinating (or going back to bed) feels like a better alternative than tackling the list.

Cross things off before you start. Take a look at your list. What are you realistically not going to do today due to time constraints, mood or circumstances? Excise those items from today's list and save them for another day.

Celebrate what you accomplish. Yesterday, I finally got my Christmas decorations put in the crawlspace, where they belong, but I was so guilt-ridden and embarrassed by the fact that it took me until MARCH to do this that I sucked all the joy out of getting it done. It was only when I forced myself to take in the beautiful empty space I'd created (finally!) that I began to let go of the guilt and realize the most important thing: this is no longer on my list! The myriad reasons why it took me so long to get to this task are best saved for another day.

Keep track of what you've done, not what you've left undone.  Most days, we do much more than we give ourselves credit for. Instead of crossing things off your list, highlight each item you accomplish. Did you do a few things that weren't on the list at all? Routine things like meals, laundry, emptying the dishwasher? Add them to the list and highlight them as well. At the end of the day, sit back and congratulate yourself for a day well-spent.

To-do lists are supposed to work in our service, not the other way around. When you find yourself feeling mastered by your list instead of being the master of it, take a deep breath and find a way to show that list who's really in charge.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Maintaining Homes When Time is Tight

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

It never fails. When I get busy or overwhelmed -- or both -- my personal and organizational styles gang up on me.

And an unfettered drop and run/I need to see it style is not pretty.

If I've been good at following my own advice (which sometimes happens), the things I've dropped and run from all have homes.

The trick is to get things back where they belong, which manages both our stuff and our stress. When time is at a premium, here are a few ways to restore order.

• Count 'em up. Set a goal of a certain number of items to pick up and put away within a given time period. Whether it's starting the day with a goal of returning a certain number of items to their homes before bedtime or a game of beat the clock when you have only ten minutes at your disposal, any dent in the growing piles is a positive step. When things have homes, even small stretches of time can yield big payoffs. 
• Tackle a hot spot. Every house has them -- the places that seem to attract piles. Sort the piles by room in the house and move each stack of misplaced merchandise to the room where it belongs. Let the family member who "owns" the room take it from there.
• Assess the logic and quality of the homes you've assigned. If your efforts to put things where they belong is hampered by the fact that their homes are inaccessible (or perhaps nonexistent), it's time to rethink their locations. Finding them a home that works might mean they'll stop turning up like bad pennies.

In an ideal world, we always have time to return things to their homes, which are logical and conveniently located. In the real world, things pile up and we sometimes run out of space. Being patient, flexible and keeping on top of things, even if only a little at a time, helps keep things manageable.

Even when we're busy or overwhelmed. Or both.

3 Keys Thursday: The Procrastinating Packer

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for a weekend conference. Yesterday was crazy, but when I got to the end of the day, I was excited to realize that I had all day today to plan for my trip. 

That is, until late last night when I remembered that something important had to be done today -- something that would take a big bite out of my planning time. Panic ensued. 

I'm not one of those people who plans everything out ahead of time, so when I say I need to devote the whole to packing, I mean pretty much the whole day because I waited until today to do what needed to be done.

Fortunately, I'm always more ready than I think I am, even if it doesn't look that way, partly because I've done a few things leading up to the packing.

If you, like me, are a packing procrastinator, here are a few tips to help you get ready:

• Pre-Pack. With the exception of make-up and medicine, all of my toiletries are always packed. And long before I put anything in a suitcase, I'm making lists and tossing odds and ends into bags so I don't forget to pack them.
• Pack as you go/stash it when you think of it. I always pack make-up and medicine the day I leave, immediately after I use it. That way, I'm less likely to forget something I need. On days like today when I'm behind, I pull out contenders for the suitcase as I pull out the things I need for the day. One pair of pants to put on, another to pack. 
• Develop your own routine. For me, it's laying everything out on a flat surface where I can see it, which makes it much easier for me to figure out what I have and what's missing. To my husband, my plan looks like chaos, but it works for me, so I stand by it. Likewise, your plan doesn't have to make sense to anybody else; it just has to work for you.

I certainly don't recommend waiting until the last minute to get everything together. But, if you find yourself in that situation, as I so often do, getting it together successfully is possible.

Happy Trails.