Saturday 12th August
Well what a day we had yesterday!
Milo, from a secret location somewhere warm and sunny ;), has been in presentation mode, and fitting it all in with family life.
Pro has been writing to clients and turning ToDos into TaDas (keep the balance of work/play though pro, you don't want to burn out!). Also finding out what lights pro's candle has been on the agenda - selling products rather than services - and a decision was made to gradually work towards selling products.
Slider has been organising her ToDos and sorting out priorities (LOL about getting hymns sorted ~before~ the pianist arrives!)
todayfirst has written a personal program loop for getting through the day with maximum productivity and minimum burnout!
solidground has been popping in for a lurk - hope you're getting what you need out of visiting solidground
flexiblefine pops in from time to time to comment in the Articles section.
Anyat hasn't posted for a few days - are you there Anyat?
Gwen and Anouk have gone MIA - hopefully because they're getting so much done without us.
And we've had many more visitors and lurkers!
- Login to post comments
pro's CI - 11:30pm (last check-in today)
Today was a day off. Tomorrow, housework (clean house, do laundry, etc.). I hope I'm not here alone!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Good night!
pro's CI - 11:20pm
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Looks like 5 things you up and did right!
Never too late to end well, right? If you go to sleep, you might reset your brain. Fresh start tomorrow. Sweet dreams!
thanks
Tomorrow is another day.
Nothing wrong with taking a day off once a week, anyway. Didn't somebody or other recommend a "day of rest" every seven days? ;)
pro's CI - 11pm
I need to rouse myself from my daze (and obsessive Tetris playing) to do my evening routine. At least I can do that one thing right.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
slider's 9:30 pm CI
Ta Da (morning routine condensed)
--morning routine (except brushing teeth)
--dealt with Scouts
--fed cats for DS (can't use his hands for messy stuff at all)
--checked on DS
--checked email
--began cuop here
--finished cuop
--fed chickens, put more cedar chips in nest box, brought in eggs
--doctored DS
--go to video store with DS
--go to grocery store for more first aid supplies and Sobe drink
--go to auto department for oil additive
--brought in shopping bags
--put away stuff from store
--clean out dog wading pool (let water run over)
--started watering back yard; watered church
--ate lunch
--clean out dog wading pool (let water run over)
--prep for confirmation orientation tomorrow (YEA!)
--checked mail at church
--looked over notes, etc. for tomorrow
Blew off:
X-stop by hospital--decided not to do; will call family
X-check tires, get gas
X-calling family of hospitalized member (bad pastor!)
X-not so late for supper (heartburn) (Oops-still haven't had supper)
Yet to do
--laundry (part of why I didn't go to hospital is I had nothing matching to wear, only odd pieces that didn't work well together, except for some casual clothes)
--feed fish, birds, and hermit crab (normally these are kid chores)
--review weekly control-journal (still in planning stage)
--water plants indoors and outdoors (including hedge)
--evening routine
Prepping for confirmation orientation was an important task, and it would have been bad if I didn't do it. But I still had a few hours after church tomorrow to do a rush job, so I might well have put it off. But posting here made a difference. The cajoling of normy (it's an emergency!--LOL) and the thought of having to post AGAIN that I had not gotten to it yet made me do it, though I squirmed and threw in a few other things (like watering on the outside) before I went into the church and got to work. It amazes me that it works at all, because examining this problem and tracing triggers and tendencies has made me very squirrely and has made every latent problem come to the surface (urk).
Now to toss in some laundry and eat a bite! And let the birdies eat (DS can't feed the parakeet and finch). Ah! DH is home, so we can eat together. If I still want something to do, I'll look over the control journal, or I'll write in my regular journal, or I'll keep posting here ;). Then bedtime routine and to bed by 11:00.
Norm's 11.35 pm BE
Well, I was going to play with the calendar tonight, but I've started mucking about with my ToDo lists instead after our little discussion earlier today. :)
slider's 5:16 pm CI
Ta Da
--got up at 8:30
--got DH up at 8:30
--loo
--put on clothes
--got DH to go check on Scouts/shrub trimming/dogs situation
--fed cats for DS (can't use his hands for messy stuff at all)
--had partial breakfast
--checked on DS
--checked email
--began cuop here
--finished cuop
--consulted with scouts about how far to cut back hedge (was getting scary--hope they don't eliminate all my privacy or kill the hedge!!!)(40 minutes)
--fed chickens, put more cedar chips in nest box, brought in eggs
--doctored DS
--had coffee and breakfast
--shower and dress for town
--put on makeup
--go to video store with DS
--go to grocery store for more first aid supplies and Sobe drink
--go to auto department for oil additive
--brought in shopping bags
--put away stuff from store
--clean out dog wading pool (let water run over)
--started watering back yard
--ate lunch
--clean out dog wading pool (let water run over)
--started watering back yard (unpackages sprinkler and took it outside, connected it to slimy hose from dog pool. These steps count, because sometimes they're what keeps me from getting even this far! There are acouple of bags in kitchen full of non-perishables that I never unpacked from a previous trip to store)
Blew off:
X-stop by hospital BRIEFLY ENROUTE TO STORE (all my destinations are in the same two blocks)--decided not to do; will call family
X-check tires, get gas
Yet to do
--prioritize the remainder of this list!
--laundry (part of why I didn't go to hospital is I had nothing matching to wear, only odd pieces that didn't work well together, except for some casual clothes)
--put in oil additive if oil level is low enough to hold it (chronic clatter is louder lately)
--feed fish, birds, and hermit crab (normally these are kid chores)
--copy tax stuff (might be better to do Sunday evening--if I can definitely make myself do it--less chance of somebody else needing copier to prep for tomorrow, less chance of being sidetracked in conversation or impromptu counseling session)
--prep for confirmation orientation tomorrow
--check for any other needs for tomorrow (prayer list, call family, etc.)
--review weekly control-journal (still in planning stage)
--water plants indoors and outdoors (including hedge)
--not so late for supper (heartburn)
--evening routine
Never drafted DS to sort. He was resistant, and then I got to thinking about how would he know what category things belong to? This is my mess, and I'm the only one who knows what all this crap is. I hate it when DH sorts and tosses stuff--gives me a real panic about whether he threw away something by mistake. Also hate how he categorizes things. DS is at friends' house now, DH still gone (probably till 9 or 10), so I am free to do exactly what I choose. I see two very high priorities: laundry, and confirmation orientation prep. Gotta set to!
Norm's 8.30 pm BE
Looks like I lost another post, bah humbug.
I quite liked working (work-work and housework) for half the waking day and then playing for the other half. Seems reasonable for a weekend - I have to remind myself there's no need to feel guilty! So I'm aiming to do the same again tomorrow. I'll get the stuff that needs doing done early, then anything else is bonus, and I'll knock off around three-ish.
*Morning Routine
*Start of Work Routine
*Phoned/Emailed course director
*Booked tickets for play
*Homework 2 hrs
*Home 'Zone' housework: Entrance, Hall, Dining Room (and muck about in shed. DSO vacced the whole house)
*Print handouts for Monday (DSO got the cartridges)
*Playing here - posted new topics on Questions, Answers, and Insights forum on this board in response to comments on this thread
*Daytime Routine
*End of Work Routine (My ~real~ end of work routine bears no resemblance to the one I've got written down - it's more of a mental putting my pen down for the day than anything else, LOL! I could do with revising it - think I've said this before - Job No. 3-120806B!)
*Play with new calendar (put in birthdays etc) (Hmm, that looks easy enough)
*Before Bed Routine
~~~Carry Forward~~~
*Go for a run
*Double check got everything ready for Monday
*Check course plan for Tuesday and gather necessary items
*Banking
*Accounts (report progress on Accounts & Tax Challenge thread
*Weekly Review
*Check out what needs copying from Cardiovascular folder
*Phone B&Bs and see if I can get somewhere to stay for yoga festival next weekend (still not decided if I want to go enough to do this)
*Contact festival organiser re festival and first aid course
*Put stationery away (BIG box!)
*Sort out stuff to donate
*Start sorting out PDA (like, decide what 'sorting out' means!)
*Bookcrossing
*Fantasy journal
and add for Sunday
*1 hr homework
*Review borrowed books reading list
*Prioritise ToDos for the rest of August
*Household project(s) (as the mood takes me)
*Maybe more cleaning if the mood takes me (haven't done any proper cleaning for months because of being away so much)
slider's 12:46 pm check-in
Ta Da
--got up at 8:30
--got DH up at 8:30
--loo
--put on clothes
--got DH to go check on Scouts/shrub trimming/dogs situation
--fed cats for DS (can't use his hands for messy stuff at all)
--had partial breakfast
--checked on DS
--checked email
--began cuop here
--finished cuop
--consulted with scouts about how far to cut back hedge (was getting scary--hope they don't eliminate all my privacy or kill the hedge!!!)(40 minutes)
--fed chickens, put more cedar chips in nest box, brought in eggs
--doctored DS
--had coffee and breakfast
To Do
--shower and dress for town
--brush teeth
--put on makeup
--stop by hospital BRIEFLY ENROUTE TO STORE (all my destinations are in the same two blocks)
--go to video store with DS
--go to grocery store for more first aid supplies and Sobe drink
--go to auto department for oil additive
--check tires, get gas
--put in oil additive if oil level is low enough to hold it (chronic clatter is louder lately)
--feed fish, birds, and hermit crab (normally these are kid chores)
Also:
--copy tax stuff (might be better to do Sunday evening--if I can definitely make myself do it--less chance of somebody else needing copier to prep for tomorrow, less chance of being sidetracked in conversation or impromptu counseling session)
--prep for confirmation orientation tomorrow
--check for any other needs for tomorrow
--review weekly control-journal (still in planning stage)
--water plants indoors and outdoors (including hedge)
--clean out dog wading pool (let water run over)
--meals
--not so late for supper (heartburn)
--evening routine
Didn't go back to bed like I was tempted to do. Normy's post (and Scouts at door several times) helped with that. OH!!!! The Scouts are finished! I need to let the dogs out of their crate in the garage (better make sure the gate is closed, first!) Can't order DS to it--he has to keep hands clean and dry. There are lots of chores here for me to do that the kids usually do. DS is out of commission and DS is still away at Grandma's. DH has left for the day to do some work at his office. So I'm it!
I think after I finish morning (ha!) routine and go to town, I'll be able to focus on preps for tomorrow. MUST DO!!!!
Hmm. DS can still be useful--I think I'll set him to sorting papers to get table cleared!
pro's CI - 1:10pm
I'm getting an incredibly slow start this morning - finishing morning routine at 1:10pm???? And I'm not even really finished because my day plan consists only of going to the Botanical Garden. I'll figure out the rest later.
I'm off now - back later. I'll report on the stinky flower. :)
I had a day like that recently
Was it Thursday? Anyway, I didn't stress over it and I soon bounced back. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow!
pro's CI - 12:45pm
If I want to go to the Botanical Garden today, I need to leave very soon!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
pro's CI - 12nn
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tomorrow is coming!!! & Norm's 4.30 pm BE
Well, it's tomorrow in Australia already and Milo is tucked up safely in bed. Sunday has already reached Tokyo and Seoul, and is slowly creeping towards Europe. Our North American members are just raising their sleepy heads.
It's 4.33 pm here now (just noticed it's Sunday in Vladivostok as well - who'd have thought? My geography is shocking though, the only way I've learned where anything is, is due to Board Time, LOL!).
I've been a busy bee today and I've just done a massive (for me) cleaning session. The place is usually picked up and reasonable looking (except for the hotspot behind me, which is a wasteland), but it was feeling a bit glum.
I'm getting hungry again - could be time to start cooking tea.
Let's see how I'm getting along with that ole list o' mine...
*Morning Routine
*Start of Work Routine
*Phoned/Emailed course director
*Booked tickets for play
*Homework 2 hrs
*Home 'Zone' housework: Entrance, Hall, Dining Room (and muck about in shed. DSO vacced the whole house)
*Print handouts for Monday (DSO got the cartridges)
*Check course plan for Tuesday and gather necessary items
*Banking
*Phone B&Bs and see if I can get somewhere to stay for yoga festival next weekend (I so much don't want to do this that I might just not go)
*Contact festival organiser re festival and first aid course
*Put stationery away (BIG box!)
*Weekly Review
*Accounts (report progress on Accounts & Tax Challenge thread)
*Check out what needs copying from Cardiovascular folder
*End of Work Routine
*Daytime Routine
*Go for a run (HA! I'm knackered! Looking for an 'Easy' job to do)
*Play with new calendar (put in birthdays etc) (Hmm, that looks easy enough)
*Fantasy journal
*Sort out stuff to donate
*Bookcrossing
*Start sorting out PDA (like, decide what 'sorting out' means!)
*Before Bed Routine
you're a machine today, Normy!!
WTG!!!! You are doing great!!
pro's CI - 11:45am
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
pro's CI - 11:15am
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
slider's first CI
Hi, y'all (yes, I'm from Texas--the use of "yall" disambiguates singular from plural in the English 3rd person pronoun (you), so I use "y'all" with pride! ;) )
DS is ok this morning, although the fancy bandages turned loose at the edge wherever the bandage wasn't as big as the wound (and as the wound is a long stripe, the gap is at each end of the bandage) and oozed--yuck.
Ta Da
--got up at 8:30
--got DH up at 8:30
--loo
--got DH to go check on Scouts/shrub trimming/dogs situation
--fed cats for DS (can't use his hands for messy stuff at all)
--had partial breakfast
--checked on DS
--checked email
--began cuop here
To Do
--finish morning routine
Also:
--copy tax stuff
--prep for confirmation orientation tomorrow
--check for any other needs for tomorrow
The above is all stuff I shouldn't have to do today--my one day off--but I'll be catching up (I'm lumping taxes with my professional stuff because it's my profession that makes them so difficult).
--decide what I'd like to accomplish around the house (probably some laundry; probably clearing the dining table--which I dread, so maybe I need to do the task-relax-repeat thing with that!)
--review weekly control-journal (still in planning stage)
--feed the rest of the animals
--water plants indoors and outdoors
--meals
--not so late for supper (heartburn)
--evening routine
Right now I'm deciding whether to start or go back to bed. I'm tempted to go back to bed or just zone out with tv or a book. Often I don't go back to bed when I'm sleepy, but then I just laze around, zoning out to tv or with a book, bored and restlesss but not alert enough to actually do something. Takes a higher level of stimulation to get me going. I thrive on emergencies (a crisis junkie--though when I'm not well-rested and healthy the crisis mode takes a toll). I've had no caffeine yet--might make a difference.
I'll see how I feel at the end of cuop. If sleepy, I'll go back to bed for 90 minutes (read something about sleep cycles once that leads me to pick that number). Then I'll pick SOMETHING to accomplish and do it. If I'm alert enough to keep going, I'll finish breakfast and get moving.
OMG IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!!
Quick - prep for confirmation orientation tomorrow!!!
Don't go back to bed yet slider - just get the prep done first, then if you still want to go you'll have earned it ;)
LOL--hey I think that worked!
Thanks!
pro's CI - 10:30am
UGH!!!! I just woke up. I couldn't sleep last night and was up from 3:30am to 6:30am. Finally I fell sleep and now it's so late! And my hours are screwed up!
I guess I should do my morning routine...
Ahh
Wondered where you'd got too ;)
Norm's 3.10 BE
Currently working on housework with DSO.
Bins emptied
Laundry on the line
He's doing the vaccing.
And I'm doing the other stuff.
OK, back to it!
Norm 1.30 BE (actually 1.38 now - got sidetracked!)
Finished meal and DSO cleared up. He's going to vacuum in here now, and I'm not going to stop him! I'll go and do the downstairs housework I'd already got planned. BBL!
Procrastinating...
I was having a half hour break to CUOP, got excited by my mail package, and haven't finished CUOP yet. Time for lunch soon though, getting hungry.
I was interested to read Milo's post about job log numbers. I think I might try using log numbers to help me keep track of what I'm procrastinating on and for how long. I'm envisioning something that combines the date with priority but haven't really thought about it yet. Any spontaneous ideas anyone? :)
log numbers?
I've read this whole discussion about log numbers and I'm thoroughly confused. Where is Milo's post? For what type of "jobs" would you use log numbers, and what do these numbers do for you?
Spreadsheet
Being in IT I have pretty stringent controls on what I do at work, with all the software to support me.
What you can do is create a spreadsheet to log jobs. Typically it would have (after your unique job log number) date received, job description, requestor if applicable (or you could have 'stakeholder'), estimate of job time, date due, priority, commencement date, completed date (and if you want, % complete). Other fields could be last contact date (with stakeholder), status (not commenced, work in progress, complete). Just do a low, medium, high for priority.
Set yourself some SLA's (Service Level Agreements in the corporate world) to have certain priorities completed in certain timeframes. Eg High - 6 hours, Med - 2 days, Low - 10 days. Make up whatever rules you want but stick to them!
Outlook
LOL, I know a ~lot~ of people in IT that don't seem to have any controls whatsoever! Having a great deal of autonomy really does seem to bring out the procrastinator in some people.
Most of the things you suggest I either already do in Outlook, or I used to do it and found it didn't help (like the % complete - I loved playing with the function but it turned out to be a time waster for me!). SLA's give me the heebie-jeebies from when I was trapped in a job in local government (I managed to escape!), but I like the idea of assigning a time structure. I don't know how realistic that is but it's worth a go. I think the main thing for me is to date stamp the name of the task.
Funnily enough, I do something very similar with my bookcrossing books. Some of them are going on to another person, or being returned to the originator, and some of them are just going out into the outside world. I've put them all on a database which sorts by date and priority (so that a book that someone else is waiting for is read before a book that no-one else is waiting for, no matter when it arrives), checks at what stage it is (registered, journalled, etc) and whether or not it is still here. I then just run a query that spits out what I've got left and what order to read it in. If books have the same priority I just go by what mood I'm in - not figured out how to get that into a database yet, LOL!
OK, I'm going to try something like '1: 12/08/06' where 1 is Urgent/Important; 2 is Urgent/Not Important; 3 is Non-urgent/Important; and 4 is in the bin.
(Hmm, the perfectionist wants to go over the existing ones and put the date stamp in, the sensible bit of me says just start from now, LOL!).
Meet yourself half-way
Why don't you start from now, but for every new one you do, pick out an old one (JUST ONE!) and date-stamp that, too ;)
That way you get to be a perfectionist but not at the expense of something else!
I really need some Outlook lessons, I sure could use it for all the things you have mentioned.
Tasks
LOL! That's basically what I just suggested to pro with the PayPal notifications - now why didn't I think of doing that for myself?
When you get a chance have a play with Outlook all this stuff is in the Tasks part of it.
My system is basically David Allen's with slight adaptations. If you go to www.davidco.com there is a downloadable booklet on using Outlook for his system. You do have to pay for it, but it's not much and mine has been ~well~ worth it. It's great - each day I can just do an Advanced Find and it just churns out the stuff for that day. The main difference between DA and my stuff is I ~do~ put due dates on things, and I also use the reminders.
GTD and Outlook Tasks
I downloaded the David Allen booklet for Outlook, too, and it was helpful. I wrote a program to create projects in Outlook Tasks (two levels), but later I found a program called "Pocket Thinker" that plugs into Outlook and replicates on my PDA. It has multilevel to-do lists, very flexible. Now I only use Outlook Tasks for things I need reminders for (things with firm deadlines).
I tried organizing things in the way David Allen suggests (by where you do it rather than by project), but that never worked for me. I don't move around that much, so my "at home" list was enormous and unorganized, and I had very little in my other lists.
Outlook categories
I've got a couple of extra categories from the ones DA gave - I sort of customised it a bit. My Someday/Maybe list is incredibly long - I think I'll customise that and break it into sub-categories (something to add to my Someday/Maybe list! Job No. 3-120806P:B:, LOL!. It'll be my first Task with a Job No!)
Hee hee..
It's lucky we all have each other to remind us of things we think of when we are helping others....
Sufficiently confused?!!
I'm logging off for the night - have a nice afternoon, and chat to everyone else later. Might not be till your Sunday evening, my Monday.
:)
Goodnight Milo!
Norm's 12.09 pm BE
PHEW! I'd originally planned just to do homework for an hour, but it's such a long and messy thing I decided to carry on for a second hour. I'm glad I did, and I'm glad I've stopped! This particular tutor gives out really intense homework! There are 11 questions on this paper and I've only just finished the first one. Gonna take me a while - got to keep on starting - that's the only way I got through the others he gave me (one paper I procrastinated on for over a year, but I ended up doing it an hour at a time and I finally made it, so a precedent has been set!).
I've also booked the tickets for the play next week. I'm going to update my list then go and have a look at what's been happening elsewhere on the board - taking a half hour break!
*Morning Routine
*Start of Work Routine
*Phoned/Emailed course director
*Booked tickets for play
*Homework 2 hrs
*Banking (do this morning ~before~ going out so I can pay any money in!)
*Home 'Zone' housework: Entrance, Hall, Dining Room
*Print handouts for Monday
*Check course plan for Tuesday and gather necessary items
*Phone B&Bs and see if I can get somewhere to stay for yoga festival next weekend (donwanna)
*Contact festival organiser re festival and first aid course
*Put stationery away (BIG box!)
*Weekly Review
*Accounts (report progress on Accounts & Tax Challenge thread)
*Check out what needs copying from Cardiovascular folder
*End of Work Routine
*Daytime Routine
*Go for a run
*Play with new calendar (put in birthdays etc)
*Fantasy journal
*Sort out stuff to donate
*Bookcrossing
*Start sorting out PDA (like, decide what 'sorting out' means!)
*Before Bed Routine
~~~Delegated/Deferred~~~
*Buy printer cartridges (delegated to DSO - I don't often get to delegate things!)
*Pay money into business account (PO is now shut - will have to be Monday)
Hi Normy
Hello there. Not checking in today, this is the first time I've touched my PC in over 24 hours! Took last night off as I said I would, and tonight I am updating my tax records in front of the TV (I have committed myself to do my business tax lodgements monthly to keep me organised and motivated. That way I won't get behind).
Boy, you have a big list today!!!!!!!! Looks like one of mine!!!
LOL! You must have been my
LOL! You must have been my inspiration! Actually I ~do~ have a master Big List, and I just keep skimming the top things off.
Me, too
When I post a really long list, it really has only about 3 things off my master list. All the rest are what I call 'operational tasks'.
In IT you have operational (ie, day to day running) stuff, and project stuff. My master list is generally project stuff. Day-to-day just goes onto my daily lists without even making it to my master list first, if that makes sense....
My problem is that I procrastinate on some things on my master list, and they just never seem to make it onto a daily list beacuse the daily list is so full, something pro noticed in particular.
I suppose that's what happens when you have 2 young kiddies and 2 jobs! ...that and if you are a procrastinator...
But I'm making progress!!! I have been soooo productive this week and I've been exhausted from it all, but am so happy that I am keeping up with my workload and not falling behind at all. So that definitely makes me a Recovering Procrastinator!!!
My Master List
is on Outlook, and there's a separate category for the Routine stuff (so I can set reminders - I'd even forget the routine stuff sometimes without them!).
Every day has Morning Routine, Start of Work Routine, Daytime Routine, End of Work Routine, and Before Bed Routine.
Every week has it's routines too, like menu planning on Thursdays, and (ostensibly) Finances on Fridays, and Bookcrossing on Saturdays, so there's a basic weekly plan. That helped me a lot in anticrastination because it helped overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed - instead of seeing a list of 6,000 odd things I just filter for the ones due today. Some days have less routine stuff than others and I can make more of a dent in what you call the 'master list'. Today is one of those days! :)
OK, it's 1pm and definitely dinnertime now.
procrastinating by planning
A couple years ago, I spent a long time trying to figure out all these various routines and organize my whole week. After spending days creating routines and schedules, I closed the files and never looked at them again - that is to say, never actually USED them.
How do you figure this out, with the right amount of routine and flexibility? What does your work day routine look like? What types of weekly routines do you have? I need help here, badly!
Q&A
I'll post a reply under Q&A, but I think you're doing a grand job as you are pro - you're working out what works for ~you~ (like the experiment with the shower first or breakfast first thing).
Damn! I hope I don't do the same thing!
I've been sporadically developing a control Journal (ala Flylady) for weekly and daily routines. At first, I scoured every suggestion at Flylady and SHE forums. Then I got sidetracked to several websites for printing out free forms to put in my control journal. I even revisited Franklin-Covey. Then I found this site and realized how big a role procrastination plays in my life. So I began to obsessively explore that! Then I found sites on squalor and hoarding. Then I had to learn more about OCD/OCPD/ADD and other psychological conditions so I could identify exactly what I "am." In today's CI I mentioned revisiting my control journal--because all the plans I made have just been sitting there for weeks now, untouched (except for evening and morning routines--which I'm gradually getting more serious about). Well, I know I can't do all this at once, and I see how both perfectionism and and obsessiveness are preventing me from accomplishing simple things, so...onward through the fog.
I should do that too...
Have you got the GTD outlook thingy I read about?
Yup!
:)
I have it.
It's an eBook. As I recall, it was $10US.
CUOP PayPal Notifications
pro you said something about 'if I'd done this in real time I could have caught the cheaters and done something about it'.
I don't know how PayPal works in detail, so I'm not sure if this is a realistic suggestion, so if not just ignore it.
I take it you're starting with the old ones and working through those first. How about starting at the other end? Work on the most recent, and if there's any of your hour left then go back a bit in time. Eventually you'll get to the old ones that it's too late to chase up, and you'll be up-to-date.
confusing me with logic, are you?
Duh - you're right, I should do that. But my compulsive brain wants to do it chronologically. Go figure.
what a nice summary!
I like this! It's nice to notice everybody's progress.
Norm's 10 am BE
Wow! Time flies!
Well I decided to start with the biggest 'frog' of the day - making the phone call to the course director who, not surprisingly, wasn't there (he sometimes is at the weekend so it wasn't an utterly daft idea). Anyway, I left a message and said I'd send an Email and ring back Monday, so now I've made a commitment. Then I checked through all the course admin stuff and clarified what the issues were, put it all as clearly as I could in the Email with two specific questions and a proposal, so now I've got something to refer back to when I phone on Monday. This whole thing took me an hour!
Part of my procrastination problem is I don't like making phone calls, and part of it is that we have problems communicating with each other - he can't hear me properly (his hearing and my voice aren't compatible), plus he is pretty absent-minded so he often forgets things he's agreed to or said he would look into. This has been going on two years now and it's getting to a critical point! So I'm glad that's done, and I've put a reminder in my Task List to phone him back on Monday morning.
*Morning Routine
*Start of Work Routine
*Phoned/Emailed course director
*See if I can book tickets for play (may not be able to because weekend)
*Homework
*Banking (do this morning ~before~ going out so I can pay any money in!)
*Home 'Zone' housework: Entrance, Hall, Dining Room
*Buy printer cartridges
*Pay money into business account
*Print handouts for Monday
*Check course plan for Tuesday and gather necessary items
*Phone B&Bs and see if I can get somewhere to stay for yoga festival next weekend (donwanna)
*Contact festival organiser re festival and first aid course
*Put stationery away (BIG box!)
*Weekly Review
*Accounts (report progress on Accounts & Tax Challenge thread)
*Check out what needs copying from Cardiovascular folder
*End of Work Routine
*Daytime Routine
*Go for a run
*Play with new calendar (put in birthdays etc)
*Fantasy journal
*Sort out stuff to donate
*Bookcrossing
*Start sorting out PDA (like, decide what 'sorting out' means!)
*Before Bed Routine