The obvious solution (in addition to ranting to Abe for 1 1/2 hours) was to make a list. Here's the brain dump from last night. Complete with the beginnings of doodles in the upper right and lower left corners. Lists are very therapeutic for me, and I managed to sleep well that night.
But I knew I couldn't really plan around this jumble of jotted notes - in red ink nonetheless. So I came up with a super-exciting (okay, lower your expectations - I am still just talking about lists) way to organize my list of "everything to do in life".
Ta da!
That's right. I turned one list into five lists! And I typed and printed it in black ink.
Really, though, it worked for me. Here's what I did.
First, I separated out the items on the list that were more like life goals ("be a better person" or "go to bed on time more often"). I called these "Ongoing".
Second, I sorted the remaining items by "Quick and Easy" and "Long and Hard". The difference between the two is a bit mushy. But some things are pretty clear: "find a realtor" and "do my taxes" are both Long and Hard. On the other hand, "buy a gift" and "organize the hall closet" are pretty Quick and Easy.
Third, I sorted those two sets of goals into "Essential" and "Nice to Have". More examples: "get a California driver's license" is essential. But "read the top 5 books for museum professionals" would just be nice to have (if you are me).
The result was four lists (in addition to the "Ongoing" list).
1. Quick & Easy / Essential things. These are top priority.
2. Long & Hard / Essential things. These are also a top priority, but I know I don't have to get frustrated if it takes a while to get them checked off the list.
3. Quick & Easy / Nice to have. These are medium priority.
4. Long & Hard / Nice to have. These are low priority.
Of course, the first thing I did after making this new super-great prioritization tool was go spend an hour working on one of the Long & Hard / Nice to have items. Turns out a lot of these are the most fun. But at least I was aware of the choice I was making... Plus I got to eat a brownie and ice cream while I worked on it.
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2 comments:
When we were in the middle of moving I made a to-do list similar to your red ink one, but I lost it. That is probably for the better, but it would be nice to have. I like your idea of grouping tasks into categories. On a positive note I did my taxes tonight. Next up is to finish our claim from our November 2011 robbery. Maybe I should put that one off a little longer.
I love lists and projects. They make me so happy! Granted I am just getting 'busy' again after having a baby. It usually takes me six months. I have to do lists on excel but I like the idea of printing them off and having them where I can see them more clearly.
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