That picture is of Blaine Larson and me. I met him at the fair on Thursday night!!
I have had a lot of people ask me how it is that I do everything I do. Really, it doesn't seem like too much to me. It just seems like life.
But, after doing what I've done today, I thought maybe I should explain a little bit how I get through my day.
Honestly, it all starts with organization. I could never function without a few basic things:
1) A FULL night's rest - which is at least 7 hours to me.
2) My day planner, "To-Do, Doing, Done" List, and calendars - Yes, I have MANY forms of organization, but without it, I would not know what to do. They all serve a special purpose, and each has helped me tremendously.
3) Email - I really don't have a ton of time to talk on the phone and have coffee for hours on end, so it's nice to have email available to me to just get tasks completed - i.e., asking simple questions to people, letting people know my plans, explaining how to do something, etc.
4) A sense of accomplishment - If I don't remind myself how much I've accomplished, I will honestly feel worthless, lazy and wasted.
That being said, here is my very basic routine:
* Write down what needs to get done, ASAP
* Prioritize tasks
* Remind myself what needs to get done
* Understand that not everything can be completed in a day, and move on
* Try not to sit down for hours at a time (MySpace, Facebook, Blogging, IMing, etc. can all be time-consuming, and honestly, they usually cause more trouble than they're worth).
* Utilize every moment I can
* Conserve
* Be honest with myself - I better be clear on what I need to get done in a day, without being unreasonable, or I'll end up stressed, crying and probably getting less done than I'd hoped
Specifically, here is what I do:
1) My day planner is ALWAYS with me. That way, I don't have to waste time and paper with Post-Its and ultimately forget to update the planner. I write down everything as it comes: due dates, special occasions, birthdays, dates, outings with friends, sports events, homework, etc. This is pretty much my all-around portal for life.
2) My To-Do, Doing, Done list is on my wall right by my bathroom. It has multiple colored Post-It notes. Each color signifies importance, from pink (most) to green (least), it has each task I need to get done. (matches my day planner). When I'm working on something, it's in the "Doing" column. If I haven't gotten to it yet, it's in the "To-Do" column. I move tasks as they need to be, and I leave them in the "Done" column for at least 24 hours.
3) My calendars - There's a dry - erase board on my room that basically just contains all of my commitments for the week - school, work, AWANA, piano, choir, etc. The calendar above my computer in my office pretty much mirrors that, just so I don't forget commitments when I work from home.
So.
When I have a plan for a day, I tend to stress a bit more, because I have to work on a schedule, which is pressuring. But, if I have a lot to do, it's easier to get more done, ironically.
You'd be surprised what you can do in 3 minutes.
Nuke some food. While you do that, do the dishes. After the dishes are done, pause the microwave, stir the food, and restart it. Wipe the counters, get all the trash off the dining room table and wipe that down. Food's ready. Eat.
Ta-Da! You've just cleaned up two rooms.
15 minutes? Easy.
Sort your laundry, start a load. Put the load in the dryer on a fluff cycle. Stack the laundry baskets. Make your bed. Pick up the clothes on your floor. Get the laundry out of the dryer, fold it, and put it away. Stack that basket on top of the rest.
Another room done! AND your laundry is getting done, too!
An hour? Piece of cake.
Switch loads of laundry. Fold the load in the dryer and put it away. Stack the basket. Check over the house for dishes, trash and clutter. Put it all away. Clean the bathroom. Vacuum your car and wipe it out.
Check that out - a whole day's worth of work...done in an hour and 18 minutes!!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I git r done!
