Write it down. That's phase 3 of my when-I'm-way-too-busy coping mechanism.
You knew I was going to say this. You just wondered when. I make lists all the time. When I get busy, the lists are even more essential to me. A list is not just some kind of security blanket for the obsessive-compulsive (although, thank goodness, it can certainly be that for people like me -- hah!) When people are under stress, both memory and decision-making suffer. So writing things down helps to avoid brain farts, minor mishaps, or even huge mistakes.
The point of a list is not to make my life conform to the list. Just because I write it down, doesn't mean I have to DO it. It just means I no longer have to actively remember it . . . my list will remind me. More written on the paper; less clutter in the head.
Every time I think of something I might want to do, it goes onto my list. (I keep all my lists in my planner). Big or little, I just write it down.
What happens once I've got my list together is more of an art form than a science. I know from past experience that I tend to write down more tasks than I can ever accomplish in a single day. Some people deal with this using the "three big rocks" method (choose the three tasks you really need to accomplish, and just do those), and I understand the appeal of that. But my day is often full of many important little tasks; if I did just three of the things on my list, my world would fall apart.
Instead, once I've got a list, I do a kind of quick triage. I'll often read through my list quickly, marking some of the tasks with a "U" or a "V" or other symbols.
I also try to ease some of the mental strain of large to-do lists by deliberately moving some big tasks into the future, when the semester is over and life will be less hectic. In May, I'm going to review a paper an editor sent me, and I'll also work on a newsletter that has no fixed deadline. Both of these are things I want to do, but I don't have to do them now. So they're not on today's to-do list (try saying that three times fast!); they're on a "May" to-do list. I can forget about them for a while. Phew!
Having a list isn't a method for getting everything done. Hardly! For me, it serves more as a way of getting peace of mind -- it reminds me that I haven't forgotten to do something important. Reminds me that what I am doing right now is really the most important (to me) thing to be doing. That if there's something important I didn't do, at least I know I didn't do it, and can try to work around that. That, since I can't do everything today, at least I'm making choices about what I can do today.
You knew I was going to say this. You just wondered when. I make lists all the time. When I get busy, the lists are even more essential to me. A list is not just some kind of security blanket for the obsessive-compulsive (although, thank goodness, it can certainly be that for people like me -- hah!) When people are under stress, both memory and decision-making suffer. So writing things down helps to avoid brain farts, minor mishaps, or even huge mistakes.
The point of a list is not to make my life conform to the list. Just because I write it down, doesn't mean I have to DO it. It just means I no longer have to actively remember it . . . my list will remind me. More written on the paper; less clutter in the head.
Every time I think of something I might want to do, it goes onto my list. (I keep all my lists in my planner). Big or little, I just write it down.
What happens once I've got my list together is more of an art form than a science. I know from past experience that I tend to write down more tasks than I can ever accomplish in a single day. Some people deal with this using the "three big rocks" method (choose the three tasks you really need to accomplish, and just do those), and I understand the appeal of that. But my day is often full of many important little tasks; if I did just three of the things on my list, my world would fall apart.
Instead, once I've got a list, I do a kind of quick triage. I'll often read through my list quickly, marking some of the tasks with a "U" or a "V" or other symbols.
- For me, "U" stands for "urgent" -- C-son needs meds today. I have to prepare for my class before the class happens this afternoon. If I don't register for the conference today, I lose the early-bird discount.
- "V" stands for "vital", the tasks that are central to my identity and my values. Getting exercise. Doing math. Hugging my kids. (Yes, I write "hug kids" on my to-do list, because I'm the kind of person likely to forget to do that. Sad but true).
- Depending on what else is on the list, I might also mark some items with a telephone (on days I have a lot of calls to make) or an "e" (on days there are a lot of emails to send out). This allows me to "batch" my tasks.
I also try to ease some of the mental strain of large to-do lists by deliberately moving some big tasks into the future, when the semester is over and life will be less hectic. In May, I'm going to review a paper an editor sent me, and I'll also work on a newsletter that has no fixed deadline. Both of these are things I want to do, but I don't have to do them now. So they're not on today's to-do list (try saying that three times fast!); they're on a "May" to-do list. I can forget about them for a while. Phew!
Having a list isn't a method for getting everything done. Hardly! For me, it serves more as a way of getting peace of mind -- it reminds me that I haven't forgotten to do something important. Reminds me that what I am doing right now is really the most important (to me) thing to be doing. That if there's something important I didn't do, at least I know I didn't do it, and can try to work around that. That, since I can't do everything today, at least I'm making choices about what I can do today.
I don't know how people, especially busy homemaker moms survive without lists! How can a person remember everything and stay sane? I like what you said about "no longer have to actively remember it", the act of writing it down frees up some brain space and I can then concentrate on the task at hand, knowing that I can refer to my list to figure out what's next. Great post.
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