Every spring I make a long list of projects, both large and small, that I plan to tackle during the summer months in all my "spare time." And then, somehow, the sun-soaked days of June and July
seem to slide away in a chlorinated haze of swim meets, picnic packing, towel washing, and a
bit of travel, leaving many of those nagging tasks undone for the umpteenth time. Before I know it,
August has rolled around and it's time to prepare for a new academic year. So this year, in an effort to get a jump-start on all those projects, I decided to change the way I write my To-Do lists. I was weary of seeing the same tasks ("Freshen-up the Woodwork Paint!") still carrying over from years past and I felt like I needed the inspiration of someone more efficient than I. Luckily, I happened upon Getting Things Done by David Allen. Though he writes mainly for the business crowd, many of his strategies are applicable to just about anyone.
This helped me:
Draft a "Projects List"
Here, list every single promise made to self or to others that involves more than one action to complete it. It can be overwhelming, at first, to actually see how long the list is, but the next step is very freeing and energizing. Just decide what the very next physical action is for each project that you need or want to accomplish this month. Those next actions get listed on the To-Do list-- just one for each project. When next actions are clear, physical, and specific, things get done and projects move forward.
For example, "Freshen-up the Woodwork Paint" is a big blob of tasks that need to be clearly defined in order to get started on the project. This actually involves finding the correct paint and equipment out in the garage, cleaning the surfaces to be painted, masking off any area that needs to be protected, dressing in painting clothes (if you're messy like me), painting, and cleaning-up. Is it any wonder the project wasn't getting done? Every time I looked at "Freshen-up the Woodwork Paint" my brain went "Huh? Yeah...maybe this summer...I suppose." Instead, if I see "Find correct paint & brushes in garage" on my To-Do List, I can do that very easily when I have a few free minutes.
Thus, the project begins and things get done.
Guess what?
This weekend, I actually finished that nagging old project. One Next Action at a time.
My chip-free woodwork looks pretty nice! And, I promise to show you the snazzy new chalkboard door on the pantry as soon as I have time to take a photo and upload it.
xoxo Ann |
