Daily To Do

Mar
09

The Daily Plan-It: March 9, 2011


"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:6-7)


I fell off the the Daily Plan-It wagon for a day or two. Actually, I guess you could say I jumped off. I took a little break. I worked hard, but I did things that didn't exactly fit into a plan. I'm veering a bit from my normal mode of doing things this week. I usually like to move systematically through my home, working through my Weekly To Do and focusing on one particular area for my Monthly To Do List.

I have a few odd tasks that are just begging to be done. They are driving me crazy! So, instead of picking a room to improve, I'm trying to tackle those areas that are robbing me of a peaceful feeling. Last week I took care of the desk. It could use a quick tidying up, but within five minutes I can have it looking (and feeling) great. I hope to move onto some other organizing this afternoon.

My main goal today is to create a peaceful environment for my husband to come home to this evening. He may be home a little earlier than usual, so I'll need to manage my time well (not one of my strengths). I want to have the house looking picked-up, dinner ready on time, and the laundry put away. And I want to be cheerful. That's a biggie. So, I'll keep this goal in mind as I go through the day. Even if I don't get any extra tasks completed, I want my home to feel like....home.

Here's what I have planned for the day in this edition of The Daily Plan-It:

My Morning To Do List-if all else fails, I at least need to get this done.
--Quiet Time
--Drink Water
--Dressed, Make-Up, Hair
--Make Bed
--Kitchen and Dishes
--Wipe Up Bathrooms
--Start Laundry
--Water Plants
--Early Meal Prep

My Daily To Do List-this will help my day go a whole lot smoother.
--Drink water
--Fast fifteen
--Weekly tasks
--Monthly tasks
--Finish laundry
--Quick clean-up
--Fix dinner
--Kitchen and dishes
--Prep for tomorrow

My Weekly To Do List
--I want to vacuum and dust today. There's something about these two easy jobs that makes the house look freshly cleaned (even when I know there's dirt or clutter hiding in the shadows).

My Monthly To Do List
--I need to take care of the clutter magnets in my kitchen today. The "stuff" piled all around is making me lose my mind. Seriously. This may also include organizing the pantry. I keep putting this off, and things keep piling up. My whole house will breath a collective sigh of relief when I get the kitchen to stop looking like the city dump.

I'll admit that I'm a little afraid of failure today. I have some pretty lofty goals. The word I need to keep in front of me is "peace". Anything that doesn't help me achieve peace in my home will just have to wait for another day.

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Mar
01

Weekly To Do List

I like routines. I like lists. Have you noticed? I like them because they mean I no longer have to think. Alright, so I guess I still have to think a little bit, but I don't have to think about what I need to do each day.

What a relief!

Nearly everything I do fits into one of my basic To Do Lists. Sure, I'll occasionally have a phone call I need to make or an appointment to go to, but my basic lists remind me of everything from starting the laundry to fixing dinner....and everything in between.

My Weekly To Do List contains those items that need done just once a week. This list helps me remember to empty the trash and wash the sheets. It reminds me that I still need to dust and I haven't vacuumed the floors yet. It pushes me to do some tasks that I'd rather let slide (like mopping the tile), and it gives me something to cross off when I do those tasks I enjoy (like clipping and filing my coupons).

Everyday as part of my Daily To Do List, I try to accomplish at least one job from my Weekly List. I use it as a reference when I think about my schedule for the week and my plan for each day. I consider which day I should plan on working on my grocery list, going to the store, or cleaning the bathrooms. As the week goes on I can easily see what still needs done.

But I'll be honest with you. I rarely ever do everything on the list every single week. I wish I did, but that just isn't how life tends to go for me. That's fine. There are a few tasks that I tend to put off (like that pesky mopping). Eventually I'll get tired of seeing it on my list and I'll just do it.

If you need some ideas for few tasks that may need done each week, here’s my personal list. It can also be found through the Getting Started link or on the right side of the page for a quick reference.

WEEKLY TO DO LIST (:: UPDATED ::)


Click to learn more about making and following a weekly to do list.

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Jan
13

Daily To Do List

No matter how motivated I feel or how much I want to get done, I have an enemy who comes lurking around sometime after lunch everyday. It knows all of my weaknesses. It's my nemesis, and its name is Procrastination.

I don't think of myself as being particularly lazy, and I rarely sit down and do "nothing." As a matter of fact, I rarely even sit down during the day. But, somehow, I'm very good at wasting time. I check my email, look at a couple favorite blogs, grab a quick snack, look up that book I wanted to order, look up all the other books written by that author, check my email again....you get the point. I feel like I've been busy all day, but I have nothing to show for it. Procrastination has struck again!

This is where my Daily To Do List comes in. It keeps me moving through the things that need to get accomplished each day to keep my home in order, at least it should. One of my goals this year is to follow my Daily To Do List every day.

The tasks on my list take just a few minutes each to complete, and when I invest a little time and effort every afternoon, I no longer feel stressed about all of the things that I should have gotten done. My home is easier to maintain because I'm doing a little bit every day. I'm able to accomplish things, rather than always trying to play catch-up. Best of all, I can actually smile at my husband if he gets home from work early, instead of feeling guilty about the pile of unfolded laundry on the bed or the fact that dinner is an hour late.

I certainly don't have this perfected, but I'm moving in the right direction. I recently found a great little book called Tell Your Time that has changed my days. It guided me through scheduling my time more efficiently so that I can accomplish my Daily To Do List and have extra time to spend enjoying my kids. Imagine that!

Here's my Daily To Do List:

--Drink water
--Fast fifteen
--Weekly tasks
--Monthly tasks
--Finish laundry
--Quick clean-up
--Fix dinner
--Kitchen and dishes
--Prep for tomorrow

You can also find this list through the Getting Started link or on the right side of the page for a quick reference. I hope you'll join me on the journey!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Oct
07

Morning & Daily To Do: Drink Water

Must. Have. Water. I can almost picture the cells in my body crawling across the desert in search of water. I can easily live in a constant state of dehydration. I get so used to it that I no longer notice or even feel thirsty. It's as though I stop listening to my body, so it finally stops asking. Sad, but true. It isn't until I decide to be intentional about my water consumption, that my body starts telling me to drink up.

For the first couple days of getting my water quota, I have to force myself to drink another glass, and I feel like I'm running to the bathroom every ten minutes (I think my system doesn't know what to do with all that liquid). But after a couple days of forcing down the H20, my body begins talking to me again. I start feeling thirsty nearly all the time, even though I'm drinking several cups more water each day than I was the week before. And the potty trips slow down, too (thankfully!).

Adding "Drink water" to your To Do List can help you remember to start your morning and afternoon with a tall glass of water. As a matter of fact, I usually drink a full glass before I have my morning cup of tea during my quiet time. It feels good to do such a simple thing for your health. Your body will thank you for it!

Jan
19

Daily To Do: So…um…what’s a "Fast Fifteen"?


Originally uploaded by 2create

We're all busy. It doesn't matter how old your kids are or what stage of life you're in, no doubt, you're busy. Sometimes it seems like I just don't have time to get anything done. And when I do find the time, I'm too exhausted to lift a finger. But, for some reason, the thought of working for just fifteen minutes seems possible.

When I work fast for just fifteen minutes, I'm always amazed at how much I can get done in such a short period of time. I can clean out a drawer or organize the laundry room. I can straighten some shelves or clean the shower. Since it's just a few minutes, it's easier to stay focused on the task at hand. And do you know what usually happens? I have more energy at the end of my fifteen minutes than I started with. Go figure!

So, here are some thoughts for your "Fast Fifteen":

-When possible, choose a task that is not part of your normal routine. In other words, clean out the closet rather than wash the dishes. You may want to use this time for doing something from the "monthly to do list."

-Feel free to stop when the fifteen minutes is done. Don't worry if you don't completely finish the task. Something is better than nothing. Don't keep going if dinner needs started or the kids need your attention. That's the point of the "fifteen." It gives you permission to get a little something done, even if fifteen minutes is all you have to give. At least the area will be a little better than when you started, and you can pick up tomorrow where you left off.

-Try to work in a "Fast Fifteen" every day. Doing a little bit at a time over the course of a few days can make those big jobs seem possible to complete. I may not find a chunk of time in a single day to work on my bedroom closet. But, if I can squeeze in fifteen minutes every day, it just might be done by the end of the week (I hope!).


There you have it. Now, go turn on some music, set a timer, and get to work. But you'd better work fast. The clock's ticking! Tick...tock...