Using a List (for those of us who get distracted by life)

It happens. Every once in a while, I find myself in a what appears to be a episode of "Hoarders." You know it's bad when you call your son and if he doesn't answer right away, your first instinct is that he has been buried underneath the avalanche of coats, Wal-mart bags and scrapbook paper spilling out of the  closet.

It always seems to be worse after a major holiday. I've got a mixture of Christmas stuff (who seemed to miss the Christmas bucket express), Valentine's Day bits and baubles that I've freed from their basement holding cell and things I just don't know what to do with.

And why must everyone in my house use the coffee table as a holding place for video games, books, dirty buttermilk glasses and open jars of peanut butter?

I don't know what it is about the New Year, but it allows me to look with fresh eyes at my environment and decide what needs to be retired to that great home decor/possession tool called the giveaway box.

This year is a little different. We only moved to this house in September. I also have been under the added stress of poor health. I'm still taking pleasure in my little house. It took me weeks to put up all my Christmas decorations the way I wanted them. It also has taken a week for me to take everything down.

You don't understand.

My Momma, Baby Sister and I don't let the grass grow under our feet concerning Christmas decorations and the removal of. If I am home the day after Christmas...everything goes back in the tub! We are over it....and on to the next thing.

Shew!

It gets even worse with those of us who homeschool. There seems to be too many wheels (on the bus) going at once. Then you add a fruity gal who likes to dabble in a creative project once in a while (I might relate)...

AND to top it off, this pastor's wife has just a few things going on. Where do I fit in those things?

It's easy to get overwhelmed with unfinished projects and a life that seems to swirl about you. Or maybe I'm the only one who would like to have clean underwear, a finished lesson plan and a dishless sink IN THE SAME DAY!

My advice (to myself mostly) to those who find themselves with a long list of projects, activities and commitments is to do one thing at a time.

I personally am a big fan of The List.

Here is where I am going to SET YOU FREE! Your list making will never be the same again.

Only put 3 things on your list initially. Sure. You can have a master list. Master list to your heart's content. In fact, I always have a couple of  Master Lists running for different projects. BUT for this minute. ONLY PUT 3 THINGS TO DO ON A LIST.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

DON'T take the time to decorate your list with doddles of hearts and flowers with a motivational scripture scribbled in your best handwriting at the top. Or is this just me.

DON'T put the list aside for another project, trip to Hobby Lobby or afternoon of mindless reading. Or is this just me.

DO make yourself a hot cup of tea.

DO put on your favorite pair of fuzzy slippers and put your favorite essential oil blend in the diffuser. Or at least light a candle.

DO start at #1 and continue on. After you get done with those 3 things on that list...add 3 more things to the list.

Another great piece of advice (if I do say so myself) is to use a timer. Set your timer for 15 minutes and do everything you can on the list for 15 minutes. You can add more time if needed. I'm certainly not going to come over and start scolding you on proper time management. But, I have found that a timer keeps us focused and on task.

I use it for Josiah ALL THE TIME.

That boy can drag out putting away the dishes like nobody's business.

Here are the first 3 things I have already tackled today.

1. I put on a load of laundry. Yes, I did!

2. I put supper in the crockpot (with enough servings to make up some individual meals for me next week).

3. I gave The Muffin that haircut he's been asking for (for far too long).

Already, I am winning the day. The next 3 things on my list?

1. I am going to do another load of laundry.

2. I am going to dye and dry a batch of coffee filters to make flowers (this project I will share soon!)

3. I am going to make 2 social media graphics for our church Facebook page for our prayer emphasis for the month of January.

You see how I am working it out?

I do have a little secret. Because of my "lack of energy" issues, I make sure to pace myself. I will take a break every hour or so if I have a lot to do. It's during those break times that I can work on tasks that allow me to sit on my little corner of the couch and sip my tea. I MIGHT read, but most likely I will work on those social media graphics or a blog post.

My next few things are going to be projects that I can do to work towards the "Clutter."

1. Put up some of Josiah's clothing that is clogging his drawers. He has some summer clothes that need to be put in a tub.

2. Clear out the stack of non-essential items beside my bed.

3. Put away 10 things in our office that don't belong there.

Do you see the method to my madness? Or just the madness....😜

On days that involve more rigorous schooling, I evaluate what needs to be a priority and tackle those things first. For example, Josiah has been struggling with math. I make sure that I prioritize time that we can sit down together and work through it.

I also prioritize our read alouds together. There have been days that I've barely had the energy to feed my guys...But if we can read a great book together...I know that I am still pouring something of value into Josiah's life. I want to write a post about some of my current methods soon. I need to add it to my list!


We can do this, my friends! Go conquer that list!

A TOS Review: The 7 Minute Daily Planner

I am not what you would call “organized.” 

At least in the specific sense of the word. 

I am surprisingly very detailed. My life and work is also very project based. 

I also don’t have a typical office or work environment. My work is from home. I have deadlines, projects and goals, but I am the one that regulates the pace. Which means quite often I am scrambling at the last minute to create. 

I often have several projects going on at once. Articles to write, reviews to finish up, a son to teach, books to inhale (did I really just admit to that?)…I don’t have the luxury of working on one thing at a time. 

Anybody else have a problem with juggling? 

Traditional planners have been harder for me to implement. They are not specific. They simply just provide a spot for my obligations and a “to do” list. 

I recenty was provided with the opportunity to review The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner from the The 7 Minute Life. 

Could this be what I need in my life (other than chocolate every day)?

What I Received

I received a physical planner called The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner. It was created by Allyson Lewis. She also created a company called The The 7 Minute Life. It is a time management company that . The planner is 7.3" by 8.5" and is spiral bound. 

The planner can be purchased for $24.95

How It Works

The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner is a personal training tool. I like that. It is simply not a “to do” list. It helps the user take those “to do” lists and divide them into manageable tasks. It is intended to be used by adults. Which means I got this one all to myself. 

The goal of the planner is help the user set priorities (and stick to them!) It helps those of us who are particularly distracted avoid interruptions. We are taught how to conquer unfinished tasks (and finish them!) and how to declutter not only our life, but our mind as well. Sign me up!

You can discover more by watching this video. 

How I Used It

When I first received my planner in the mail I thought, “Oh no! It looks like I will have to add planning my planner to my list of “to do” projects!” 

I soon discovered that all of the extra steps involved were exactly what I needed to help me narrow down and be specific about what I wanted to accomplish in my life and my day. 

I can't even begin to list all the pages and features found in the planner. You can get a better sense by looking at the chart below. 

I watched the Getting Started Videos found on the website and began to read through the instructions. 

I got out my sparkly pens and I was ready to go! 

I want to share with you some of how I used it and some of my favorite features. 

I was asked to prioritize my values. I can tell you that this is the very first time (evah) a planner has asked me about my values. 

Then I had to write out my Purpose. I was also ask to list what I love and what I consider my Purpose words to be. You can see that I have circled them.

It is easy for me to get caught up in what I am not accomplishing. Or what I consider to me my "lack." One activity had me list my strengths. I was patient that week. This week I'm not as patient. Maybe I should stop telling people that I am patient.

I also like to be rewarded by small gifts of chocolate. And sushi.

One helpful activity had me list what was causing stress and chaos in my life. What are my distractions? Am I having an issue with indecisiveness (yes) or procrastination (yes and yes).

There are plenty of pages for goal setting. Something unique with this planner is that we are encouraged to set 90 day goals. There is a spot for personal goals, work goals, financial goals and life goals.

You can see that one of my goals is to lose 50 pounds. I have lost a whole bunch of weight. This last bit is being particularly stubborn and I am having a hard time with motivation. 50 is a lot to lose in 3 months and I probably won't get there, but it is a reminder to me that if I lose 50 pounds I am at my goal weight. I further broke down my actions to what I was going to do daily.

This (in my very best handwriting ;<)) is one goal I included in my work goals. I listed all of my blogging and writing goals under my work goals.

There is a spot for Unfinished Tasks. Don't worry. There is lots of room. The goal is that you take items from this list and had them to your daily task page. It actually is quite effective. I've been getting stuff done!

Here is my calendar for September. It isn't pretty, but it's filled out.

So after I worked through all of my planning to plan pages, I got to the Daily Progress Report pages. This is where the day to day activity takes place. It has a wonderful feature for listing 5 things to do before 11am. Wonderful! It also has a spot for people you need to connect with. And that list of Unfinished Tasks.

I can keep myself accountable to some of my health goals. I wasn't about to admit how much time I spend reading. Don't ask. Don't tell.

I don't follow a hour by hour schedule (that is simply too much to ask of me). I do, however, have specific commitments.

I used the blank lines on this page to record some notes. I had a few hiccups in the day. I made a list so I can add it to the next day.

There are other helpful features on the Daily Progress Report page, but those are my favs. 

My Thoughts

I really needed this. If you follow my blog you will see that I have added a few printables over the last month. I also have a file full of printables I need to upload…just ready to go. 

This was a project I definitely have been neglecting. It has been my intention to create printables to share. Eventually, I want to have an ebook or two for purchase on my blog. 

I finished a book project for my Mom, started on my Christmas project list and finished a few blog posts I had meaning to write. 

These were projects that weren’t pressing, but ones I had intended to do. I also managed to finish my projects with deadlines in a timely manner. 

Shew. 

Something I really appreciated is that The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner helped me focus on what my intentions are. As a blogger, as a mother, as a wife, as a person. I was able to narrow in on my purpose and plan accordingly. 

I once had an older minister friend tell my husband and I that everything he did at his church he did with one purpose in mind. “Would it glorify the Kingdom of God?” Even bake sales and children’s events had to be put to the test.

The 7 Minute Life™ Daily Planner helped me purposeful. My purpose words are blessing, encourage, faithful, creativity, purpose and love. I want to make a difference. I want to be a blessing. I want to be faithful. Do my projects, tasks and day reflect that? 

This is so much more than a planner. 

The 5 before 11 section has saved the day. There have been nights I have laid my head on the pillow and thought, “What in the world did I accomplish today?” Having 5 things that I do before 11am makes me already successful. I don’t feel overwhelmed or disappointed in myself. And because I have written them down I have proof that I am being productive. 

Because my “job” is not typical, I found I didn’t every single page in the book. But that’s okay. I made it my own. 

Of course, for those of us who like to run by the seat of our pants (is that even a phrase?) we have to be sure we actually planner into practice. It has been tempting to go back to my bad habits of post-it planning. 

This time I am really making an effort to be purposeful. It's simple! Check out some of these tools and resources that are available to you.

You can read more Reviews by clicking the banner below.

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All "Froofed" Up

Another day at home. I suppose that's why they call it "Homeschool." Not to fear. Josiah and I do plenty of School at Home. We just also do School at the Park, School at the Y, School at the ....You get the picture.

My car is fixable. Thank goodness. Tomorrow I will be ready to run the roads again. Just in time for a Doctor's appointment.

In the meantime, I took a few minutes this morning (away from my busy dishwashing and laundry schedule) to craft. Josiah had some seatwork he needed to work on.  We sat the table, listened to Adventures in Odyssey and spent the morning in comfortable companionship.

I am trying to organize my paperwork and life, in general. One of my projects is organizing my recipes and menu plans into one location. Being as we are eating healthy and watching the calories (at least I am) I am keeping the menu plans pretty predictable. And a 3-ring binder is a perfect solution.

But I can't have my 3-ring binders being all plain. It just isn't in me. I would fret about it for weeks. When I was in college I "scrapped" the front of my binders with my favorite poems, etc. It didn't matter because I was an Early Childhood Education Major. People expect us to be a little flaky. In fact, life is better in general when you add a bit of "froof." How does one spell "froof" anyway? Phrooph?


Being stuck at home has also been good for the random, impulsive runs to Hobby Lobby. Not that Hobby Lobby benefits, but my wallet sure does. Instead, I rummaged around in my fabric bins, button boxes and scrapbooking supplies and found a collection of stuff I though worthy enough for a Recipe Book.

Nothing beats a cold winter morning with some cute craft stuff and a cup of Vanilla Chia Tea. This isn't just any Vanilla Chia Tea. My sweet Ma-in-Law (Sharron) ordered this tea for me all the way from Boston. Don't you just wish you had a Ma-in-Law like her? She's mine. You can't have her.

I could sift through my button box for hours. I never know what I might find. Josiah wanted to confiscate the face. Something about an ancient relic...I didn't let him. I didn't use it in my final design, but I have plans. I have a few more binders to decorate. I don't want to find it in some sort of Indiana Jones dig.

There is something very satisfying in using what you have. This is a plain lunch sack. I crumpled it up and swiped it a few times with a stamp and ink.I have been using brown paper lunch sacks to pop popcorn in the microwave. It's a revelation. I'll have to share sometime.

The finished product. One of my favorite parts is the quilt block. It came from a sweet old lady who gave the blocks to my mom...who in turn gave them to me. Free and Cute and Unique. Love.

I found that clothespin a box of scrapbook supplies. I had painted it a long time ago and wrote "fun" on it. I think I will use it as a place holder in my recipe book. Or maybe to clip back my bangs. They always need a little help.

And...finally in the binder. It took just a little bit of time, some bits and pieces and I have a cute recipe binder. I'm excited to tackle my other binders. In fact, while I am still in my right mind I need to tell Josiah he better hide his school binders. He might wind up with "Froof."

Blessings!