I drove a Hard Bargain With myself

I made myself a to do list for the weekend that was a little crazy!  It was long.  It had some LARGE tasks on it.  It had some smaller tasks. It was a full list! and I was determined to tackle it and finish everything. 

I am a list maker.  Making a to do list each weekend.  Sometimes it's just basic reminders of "go to Petco to pick up cat food'.  Sometimes it includes the basic items on my to do.  Things like "scrub the kitchen floor".  But this past week my list didn't juts include those basic things. Furthermore, my list was quite extensive.   What was on my list?  Projects!  I set up a HUGE to do list and I was determined to see it through!

If you remember, a few days ago I wrote about how I want to streamline my life.  I want to start to purge the unnecessary.  I want to whittle down my list of unfinished projects.  I want my life to be simple and less overwhelming.   So when I made my to do list, I placed some large projects unfinished projects on there.  Sure I placed some of the normal stuff that just comes up in life.  Things like backing up my files to my external hard drive.  But I also  I placed one of those big projects that was nearing completion that I could hopefully finish.  I also placed some that were large but still only midway through the process but I set my own goal of where I wanted to be at the end of the weekend. !   I honestly started the weekend thinking it would be fantastic if I finished everything.  Then midway through the weekend I altered my thoughts a bit because I was like, "There is no way I will get even half the stuff on my list done."   But then  somehow, I started crossing off one after another item on my do do list!  

The big project:   I took on the task of mom's recipes after she passed away.  Every recipe we found in her house I brought home and scanned into the computer.  I had completed almost everything a while back.  I literally had a wee bag of items...probably about 50 recipes.  They were stuff that was found in random places and not her tried and true stuff, so it kept getting pushed to the back burner.   I placed this task on my to do list for the weekend.  I knew that if I finished those last recipes that the project would be complete!    And guess what?   It is DONE!   I completed this big project!   

The second big project that was on the list was one that kinda goes hand in hands with organizing mom's recipes.  From the beginning of this project, I had the idea to put a small book together with some of her tried and true recipes.  I worked on that this weekend and made some great headway.  I actually got as far as I could with that and I am at a standstill for the time being.     

The third project?  A while back I started a writing project that I am calling Tales of the Scales. On the two do list was to sit down and re read what I have.  For me, while I do read books I tend to like to read over things like this (for more editorial purposes) on paper. So I printed it up. Reading it with a pen in hand was on my list of things to do.  This is the thing that I thought was not going to get done!  However, Jason didn't feel well on Sunday so we had a quiet afternoon at home.  I sat there with my pen in hand and read!  SO while the complete project isn't done, I completed that step of the project! On to the next step!

I also spent some time in my office, purging a bit.  I purged until the big garbage can outside was full.  I also organized.  It is once again, not a completion to the purge project.....but it is definitely a step in the right direction!

I also had on my task list to complete one more point of my my lone star quilt.   This is the only big task that I didn't manage to complete this past weekend!  I'm disappointed with myself for not completing it.  And I kicked myself a bit because I did play mindless games on my phone for about 20 minutes and I should have been working on that.  But seriously, 20 minutes wasn't going to complete it!

That is one HALF of ONE point of my lone star!  After the yellow it tapes back down through the colors until it's back to one blue piece. 
 

I was a project busting machine this week!

So lessons learned this weekend.  It's amazing how much I can get done if I set down that stinkin' phone and stop playing mindless games or mindless scrolling!     And secondly, really working and completing that one  big  task and all those smaller steps of other projects made me feel so much better.  I feel more in control.  Crossing off those things on my list was a real booster for my spirits!

So what is up next?   I have a to do list for the work week. Even though it is only Monday, I am already working on it and crossing thing off.  As the week progresses, I will certainly be creating my weekend to do list also!  One project down.........on to tackle the next one!

Creating a To Do list to Stay Focused

 

I have implemented a new addition to my life and I am loving it!   I have reinstitute a to do list in my life.  I know...that seems a bit overkill doesn’t it?  But it’s working for me!!!

The impetus behind a To Do list

Last week I talked about my goals for the month of November. And while I am confident that I can meet those goals, I wanted to have something in place to make sure that I meet and even exceed those goals!  But I know myself.  I start strong and then I fade away for a week or two and then I get all bold and string again.  There is a total lack of consistency and it shows in my weight loss efforts, my productivity, my dollhouses, my life.  I needed something to draw me in and give me structure!

I also wrote last week about the having a bucket list of things that I want to do and accomplish in life.  I created that list and I’m excited about it!   In that post I talked about how I have to decide if I really want to do it or if I just want to dream about those things. But how could I make sure that I actually work on the list?

The to do list idea came around quite naturally.  On Monday of last week I was in the shower and thinking about everything I wanted and needed to do that day.  I had a YouTube video to film.  I had one video to edit.  I had a blog post to write.  I had some household chores and oh yeah, I had to squeeze in my yoga session. Afterall, it is Yogvember!    I didn’t want to spend all evening on that stuff.  I like my evenings to be spent with Jason.  I’m in a relationship with him because I like spending time with him, not because I want to always be doing my own thing on my end of the couch!   So I decided to write down my stuff that I needed to do so that I could work on it!!  Not only did I write my list, I took great pleasure in crossing off completed items!   That simple act made me remember my old to do list!

For years I kept a running to do list.   It was just one large long list of things that I wanted to do.   Some things were put on the list and crossed off quickly while other things sat and languished on the list for months.   I would cross off completed items and whenever I had to turn the page I would move all the unfinished things to the new page and start a new list.  It worked for me and I work well with that small reward of seeing crossed off items on my list!   I loved the memory and I wanted to turn that into something awesome for my current life! 

Breakdown of my To Do List 

I am not creating one long list. I am creating a daily to do list.  There are some things that I am putting on the list each and every day.  Some of those items are :  track my food, cardio workout, yoga, devotions, etc.   of course there are things that are just a one day event...one day I had a note to order vitamin drink packets from Amazon.     The daily list is working great!  I don’t beat myself up if something doesn’t get done (most most days everything does get done because I take great glee in crossing items off). BUt if something doesn’t get done I just move it to the next day and carry on.

 On the weekends I don’t have such a strict daily list of things to do.  I have the weekend lumped into one page.         I am simply marking down those items that we randomly say through the week but then forget when the weekend comes.   As you can see, I do have the yoga and food tracking listed there for each day of the weekend because they are things that I really want to continue through the weekend!

I have also included and created a weekly to do list.  This includes the posting schedule for my blogs and my YouTube channels.  It is also where I am placing those long term to do items.  If I have time to work on those things, awesome!  If not I will just move it to the next week!

I am amazed at how productive this had made me this week!  I have managed to get so much done!  I have completed projects and tasks that get pushed aside and/or forgotten.   I feel in top of things and not stressed out.  And I feel so full of pride when I cross an item off the list because it is completed!  I decided that I want the life that I dream about and that I will do whatever it takes to get it!   For me, a to do list keeps me focused on working on my goals each and every day!