Jump to content

Menu

Thoughts on decluttering, cleaning, habits, etc....


shanvan
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've been participating in some of the decluttering challenges and reading some of the books discussed here recently (Switch, Getting Things Done, The Happiness Project) and I've been thinking about all of the issues.

 

This post is really just me thinking, so please don't take it like I'm passing judgement here b/c I am right there trying to accomplish the clean house, the state of organization, etc. too.

 

Has anyone else ever seen all of these books, systems, challenges, as a sort of pursuit of perfectionism? Sometimes I think instead of focusing on yet another attempt to follow a new approach, I should instead, just get up and do what i can do in a day and learn to be satisfied with it. By measuring myself against one of these challenges, systems or whatever, am I just constantly setting myself up for failure and gaurenteeing that I will not be satisfied with my efforts?

 

Some years ago I got truly sick of all the systems and decided I would simply do what needed to be done each day and instead of keeping a to-do list I recorded each and every thing I did. Mostly, I found that I was amazingly productive AND I met the needs of each day quite well, rather than trying to meet the expectations set forth by yet another book or system that just cannot possibly know all the nuances of my family, our issues, or the things that may need prioritizing on a particular day.

 

Thoughts? Maybe there just needs to be some sort of happy medium?

 

BTW, I'm off to try to catch up on the decluttering challenge I signed up for!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me Too!

 

I have given up on organising myself and my houseold by using those books. ( All though, I loved the Happiness Project.)

I simply make a list of stuff that needs doing. And pick 5 things. That is my list for the day. Once I get started, I find that I can get several more things done.

I have organised my diet by 2 rules, plate mostly vegeables and fruits, & count calories. I eat what I like, so I am not in constant state of craving. I find my cravings usually go away with just a small serving.

 

I am all about simplicity in my life because I took on a part time job and full time university.

 

I hope that you get more help from others on the forum.

 

 

Sharon

Mom to 2 22yr old college kids

wife to amazing dh, 24.5 yrs!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me Too!

 

I have given up on organising myself and my houseold by using those books. ( All though, I loved the Happiness Project.)

I simply make a list of stuff that needs doing. And pick 5 things. That is my list for the day. Once I get started, I find that I can get several more things done.

I have organised my diet by 2 rules, plate mostly vegeables and fruits, & count calories. I eat what I like, so I am not in constant state of craving. I find my cravings usually go away with just a small serving.

 

I am all about simplicity in my life because I took on a part time job and full time university.

 

I hope that you get more help from others on the forum.

 

 

Sharon

Mom to 2 22yr old college kids

wife to amazing dh, 24.5 yrs!

 

 

Yep, this is very close to how I was handling things too---until I started reading all those books. I did like The Happiness Project best of the books I read. I wouldn't say my house is a wreck, just a little rough around the edges, and I am able to take care of it a little more as time permits. I suppose I am feeling like the emphasis on decluttering and household tasks is pulling me away from more important things that need my focus and maybe I need to stick with my own way of managing my life instead of thinking someone else will have a better idea.

 

I'm not really looking for help, more like wondering if anyone else has similar thoughts.

 

I'm sure there are those who read the books and then just use some of the ideas, which may be what I do too. But, when I read all the threads (some of which I've started) I sometimes think we are all looking for perfection and setting up impossible standards.

 

Now, today I have the entire day free and I am enjoying decluttering and organizing. But, I'm doing what I want, which is room by room, and not the kitchen as was assigned this week in the challenge I signed up for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I would be much more productive if I just got up and did something. My issue is that I sometimes get so overwhelmed that I can't even pick one thing to do or I pick something that is a pretty low priority. I need to keep a to-do list because I have many, may things that are multiple step projects or that can't be done right now but need to be remembered. With that said, I should get off the computer and pick one thing I feel like doing and get it done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that you (general) need to see the books, systems, etc. as a possible solution to a perceived problem. If what you're doing in certain areas is working, then don't even looks at systems geared toward those areas. With the rest, if a system or book doesn't resonate with you or seem like a system that would be workable, discard if and look at other things that might work. In general, I immediately discard any ideas or systems that I can tell won't be helpful for me.

 

And I dont' feel like I'm missing something! For example, while I learned some really good things from FlyLady, her overall system doesn't work for me. So I took what works, leave the rest. Or Motivated Moms - it's a great system but it feels too scattered for me. So I don't even consider it!

 

I'm doing pretty well with tasks like make the bed or clean up the dishes, things that need to be done daily. And I've worked out my own system for menu planning & grocery shopping. So I don't look at anything that relates to those areas, because I don't have a need. But there are defintely other areas where I feel like I'm drowning, or at least swimming and swimming with no progress!

 

So that's my encouragement to anyone, I guess, to not be motivated by guilt, or an idea of perfection, or the idea that "everybody says this sytem is great, so I must try it". By all means, keep doing what's working for you, just look for help in the areas you know aren't working!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I would be much more productive if I just got up and did something. My issue is that I sometimes get so overwhelmed that I can't even pick one thing to do or I pick something that is a pretty low priority. I need to keep a to-do list because I have many, may things that are multiple step projects or that can't be done right now but need to be remembered. With that said, I should get off the computer and pick one thing I feel like doing and get it done!

 

 

I should clarify....I'm fine with keeping a to-do list, as long as it doesn't get too ridiculously out of control. I keep one on my laptop and look it over and prioritize and work some on it most days, and ignore it on days when I just know I can't make progress for whatever reason. If my list starts to become too much of a wish list then it starts to become discouraging.

 

It seems to me though, that some of these systems become so complicated you could end up having a lovely time sitting in a chair 'planning' and envisioning how wonderful everything will be once you finally have it all worked out. Meanwhile, 3hours have gone by and nothing is getting done. :lol:

 

Today I am working on several rooms in my house, organizing and decluttering--but I don't have that on my to do list. I'm just doing it b/c I have time and I want to. I have other things on my to do list which I will get to later this afternoon. Some will end up waiting for another day and I'm fine with that.

 

I spent zero time today reading about, following, or planning any of the ideas mentioned in any of the books I read. Maybe I'm rebelling! :coolgleamA:

 

Back to cleaning up my paper pile near the computer desk. Then on to organizing the upstairs hall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Completely agree. It is more important to get things done than to them the "right" way, which of course will vary from person to person. One doesn't even have to have some fancy sort of system. There are evangelist of everything, it reminds me of Fly Lady. I had a friend who was always saying, "Fly Lady says.... you must wear shoes to clean, you have to make your bed in the am." No, I don't have to wear lace up shoes to clean. Not doing things in the GTD way or the Switch way doesn't mean it is wrong or lacking. Really I think we are more apt to spend too much time talking and planning about cleaning and organizing than actually doing it and it can be just another form of procrastination. Of course that doesn't mean it is wrong to do it the GTD or Fly Lady way or anything else but just that it isn't required and sometimes the required effort and time doesn't pay off. There will never be any way in anything that is just perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

And I dont' feel like I'm missing something! For example, while I learned some really good things from FlyLady, her overall system doesn't work for me. So I took what works, leave the rest. Or Motivated Moms - it's a great system but it feels too scattered for me. So I don't even consider it!

 

 

 

Interesting. I feel the same way about Flylady. I'm trying out the MM app for the next week, but so far finding it to be somewhat scattered too. I am wondering if I can modify it to fit us better. Not sure yet. I like that I can assign chores to Dc and they can check them off on their iPods. We have not had that much time for all those little tasks this week, though, and I wonder if I'll use it much.

 

One thing I know, is that the Motivated Moms (whoever they are) do not have dogs that require extensive grooming. That chore alone can knock out half a day for me--and that is per dog--and we have 2 that take a lot of time to groom. I'll be glad when Dc can take over that job from me completely. They are working on it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Completely agree. It is more important to get things done than to them the "right" way, which of course will vary from person to person. One doesn't even have to have some fancy sort of system. There are evangelist of everything, it reminds me of Fly Lady. I had a friend who was always saying, "Fly Lady says.... you must wear shoes to clean, you have to make your bed in the am." No, I don't have to wear lace up shoes to clean. Not doing things in the GTD way or the Switch way doesn't mean it is wrong or lacking. Really I think we are more apt to spend too much time talking and planning about cleaning and organizing than actually doing it and it can be just another form of procrastination. Of course that doesn't mean it is wrong to do it the GTD or Fly Lady way or anything else but just that it isn't required and sometimes the required effort and time doesn't pay off. There will never be any way in anything that is just perfect.

 

 

Preach it! :hurray: That's what I'm saying in all those long posts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Interesting. I feel the same way about Flylady. I'm trying out the MM app for the next week, but so far finding it to be somewhat scattered too. I am wondering if I can modify it to fit us better. Not sure yet. I like that I can assign chores to Dc and they can check them off on their iPods. We have not had that much time for all those little tasks this week, though, and I wonder if I'll use it much.

 

One thing I know, is that the Motivated Moms (whoever they are) do not have dogs that require extensive grooming. That chore alone can knock out half a day for me--and that is per dog--and we have 2 that take a lot of time to groom. I'll be glad when Dc can take over that job from me completely. They are working on it!

 

 

I'm always happy when I realize there's a job I can offload to my children!

 

I looked at the MM app too. I think it could be useful for me, but I'd definitely have to customize it. I may do that at some point, still thinking about it. I just dislike lists that are "cluttered", meaning that they have items on them that aren't relevant for me, or that I don't need a written reminder for. So it seems to work best when I make my own lists!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not read books about organizing, do not follow any cleaning programs, do not participate in decluttering challenges. I find that I can waste a lot of time searching for the silver bullet - instead of just getting off my butt and doing something. I only need very few guiding thoughts to keep the house neat and organized:

1. Everything needs a place and needs to be put into that place after use.

2. Before I acquire any new item, I think about where it would have its place, and if storing/cleaning it is worth it for the use I get out of it. This eliminates many a purchase.

3. Clean what is dirty.

 

ETA: It's like homeschooling: I could easily sit and read about homeschooling all day, research curricula, write lesson plans and schedules - but we could also use the time to actually do school instead ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes I think instead of focusing on yet another attempt to follow a new approach, I should instead, just get up and do what i can do in a day and learn to be satisfied with it.

 

 

I think you've just hit the nail on the head with that statement.

 

All those books, programs, systems, etc. sell because the large majority of people have the mindset that if they can just "find the perfect system", their problem will be solved. So they keep buying books, signing up for another email list, and so on - in search of that perfect system that will once and for all solve their problem.

 

No system will ever solve the problem (whether it's decluttering, cleaning, or whatever) if you don't take action and keep taking action, every day.

 

So...the secret is really just taking effective action. Regardless of what "system" you use. ;)

 

Signed,

Previous mass-consumer of self-help books and systems who now just focuses on getting off her butt and taking action :D

 

ETA: I think many of these books and systems are fantastic and very helpful - I've read many of them. Not knocking them at all. But it's what you actually DO with the information that matters, and my point is that most of us probably know the basics of what we need to do before even reading them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me, I find myself not getting off my butt and taking action because there is just too much that I could do and my mind goes into overload. I don't like doing the same thing day in and day out. I dread it. That is why I don't read the books, they are so into routine and rituals. I do like coming here and seeing what other people are doing as small challenges, it often motivates me. I can take it or leave it, I don't commit to any certain method. I've given up on guilt.

 

I look for ways to avoid creating extra work or creative ways to streamline jobs. After years of accumulating stuff along with my five children, I'm working my way to getting rid of a lot of it. When I think I 've pared down, I see one of the challenges and realize I could do more in one area. If I don't find it helpful, I just ignore it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A while back, the Simple Dollar blog guy did an extensive review of the Getting Things Done book. I printed it out, analyzed it and then tried to implement it. After a while ( I can't exactly remember, several weeks maybe), I realized that I had to stop doing it. I already tend to always feel like I should be doing something useful and have a hard time taking breaks and it was making me crazy feeling like every minute had to be productive and that if I were organized enough, I could do it all - be a SAHM, homeschool 6 dc, have a clean house, write novels, keep up a blog, exercise, etc etc etc. I can't do it all, and after that experience I decided to stop trying. It's probably not a coincidence that we aren't really homeschooling anymore either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can understand feeling like that. I'm not good at following other people's systems and rebel at being told that I must shine my sink (my sink is ratty old plastic and will never look clean) or wear shoes indoors (I like to be able to slide my slippers off to put my feet up on the sofa).

 

I ended up working out my own system; I didn't feel the need to compare myself to others, but I did need to be accountable to myself. I don't have the time these days to deal with the kind of slapdash housekeeping that I used to do - I need to be more organised in order to have any peace. So far (two weeks!) it's working.

 

Laura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been reading a lot of those same books, too. We've been big Covey fans= who starts with values driven vision/mission. I thought GTD offered a good balance to that and gave me some tools to implement to round that out. I'm currently reading 'Switch"- again not earth shattering but good stuff to tweak what we have going.

We already get a lot done. That's not really my goal for this reading/doing fest. Bascially I want to get more focused things accomplished and get rid of the extraneous. We have certain goals we aren't reaching and we are getting older faster so for me it's about how to get more focused/more intentional/ without being anal and driving myself mad along the way.

 

funny about The Happiness Project- I liked it least so far - lol!! I mean, I thought it was fine, but it was just so arbitrary about what she chose to focus on or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I, too, have spent years in quest of the perfect system. If I spent that time doing something, anything, my house probably wouldn't be in the state it is now. I like parts of FlyLady (i.e. do something for 15 minutes, declutter first, routines, don't aim for perfect, housework blesses your family), but trying to DO Flylady as written just doesn't work for me. I've looked at MM, but it would need too much adjusting to fit my family/situation that it just isn't worth the time IMO. I get GTD from the library to see what all the fuss was about, but it looks like just a lot of work for me. I have Switch on hold to pick up next week, so we'll see if that book gives me the vision I'm seeking.

 

What has seemed to work for me is to list all the major rooms in the house + Baking & Errands, on our big whiteboard. Under each room I list anything that I want to get done. As I finish something I cross it off & choose something more to work on if I have time & motivation. The daily things (dishes, laundry, meals, etc.) I have a system that works for me most of the time. It's just the extras (deep cleaning, windows, decluttering, etc.) that just don't seem to get done & the mess snowballs over time until I am sufficating under the pressure.

 

Tha accountability threads on here have really helped me. Not because I needed to do things a certain way, but instead because I needed to do something. I am amazed at how much success I've had in the NoSpend January challenge & the MealPlanning challenge. I'm hoping that those challenges continue in February as knowing that I'll be posting my progress every few days has made me want to actually make progress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been reading a lot of those same books, too. We've been big Covey fans= who starts with values driven vision/mission. I thought GTD offered a good balance to that and gave me some tools to implement to round that out. I'm currently reading 'Switch"- again not earth shattering but good stuff to tweak what we have going. We already get a lot done. That's not really my goal for this reading/doing fest. Bascially I want to get more focused things accomplished and get rid of the extraneous. We have certain goals we aren't reaching and we are getting older faster so for me it's about how to get more focused/more intentional/ without being anal and driving myself mad along the way.

 

And that's what drew me to GTD too, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I have too many things on my list to realistically think I can devote time to each one now. Maybe some of it does need to wait until I'm not in the trenches of homeschooling. I'm not sure on that yet.

 

funny about The Happiness Project- I liked it least so far - lol!! I mean, I thought it was fine, but it was just so arbitrary about what she chose to focus on or not.

 

I wonder if that's why I liked it better, b/c she did choose arbitrary goals and they fit her life. I also thought she was realistic (well, mostly) in admitting that she didn't do so well on every goal. There seemed to be a human-ness there. People and relationships were a large part of what she attempted. But, maybe that's in the other books too and I missed it? For some reason Switch and GTD seemed a little too much like a business model and came across (to me) as though if you could just program yourself according to their approach, you would be able to get everything done. I'm still going to skim them over before I take them back to the library to see if I get the same impression.

 

I, too, have spent years in quest of the perfect system. If I spent that time doing something, anything, my house probably wouldn't be in the state it is now. I like parts of FlyLady (i.e. do something for 15 minutes, declutter first, routines, don't aim for perfect, housework blesses your family), but trying to DO Flylady as written just doesn't work for me. I've looked at MM, but it would need too much adjusting to fit my family/situation that it just isn't worth the time IMO. I get GTD from the library to see what all the fuss was about, but it looks like just a lot of work for me. I have Switch on hold to pick up next week, so we'll see if that book gives me the vision I'm seeking. What has seemed to work for me is to list all the major rooms in the house + Baking & Errands, on our big whiteboard. Under each room I list anything that I want to get done. As I finish something I cross it off & choose something more to work on if I have time & motivation. The daily things (dishes, laundry, meals, etc.) I have a system that works for me most of the time. It's just the extras (deep cleaning, windows, decluttering, etc.) that just don't seem to get done & the mess snowballs over time until I am sufficating under the pressure. Tha accountability threads on here have really helped me. Not because I needed to do things a certain way, but instead because I needed to do something. I am amazed at how much success I've had in the NoSpend January challenge & the MealPlanning challenge. I'm hoping that those challenges continue in February as knowing that I'll be posting my progress every few days has made me want to actually make progress.

 

I like Jean's daily tackle threads too. Well, I like them most of the time. Sometimes they make me feel like a slacker! Posting and checking back in is motivating to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't feel the need to compare myself to others, but I did need to be accountable to myself.

 

This is exactly it for me. I am not a habitual reader of self-help books. Frankly, I don't care a lot about what other people do. I recognized a need and looked for a solution. I read some, takIng what I liked and leaving what I didn't. I was not looking for perfection. I was not looking to transform myself into June Cleaver or a Stepford wife. :lol: I was looking for improvement in specific areas and I got it. I never had a problem getting off my butt. I had a problem prioritizing tasks. Now I do not. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone else ever seen all of these books, systems, challenges, as a sort of pursuit of perfectionism?

 

No. :001_smile:

 

 

Sometimes I think instead of focusing on yet another attempt to follow a new approach, I should instead, just get up and do what i can do in a day and learn to be satisfied with it. By measuring myself against one of these challenges, systems or whatever, am I just constantly setting myself up for failure and gaurenteeing that I will not be satisfied with my efforts?

 

Are you actually measuring yourself against those approaches, or are you actually internalizing what you've read and just doing it?

 

 

Some years ago I got truly sick of all the systems and decided I would simply do what needed to be done each day and instead of keeping a to-do list I recorded each and every thing I did. Mostly, I found that I was amazingly productive AND I met the needs of each day quite well, rather than trying to meet the expectations set forth by yet another book or system that just cannot possibly know all the nuances of my family, our issues, or the things that may need prioritizing on a particular day.

 

Some people truly, truly need the check-lists and chore cards and the whole nine yards. I do not understand it myself, but I know that it is so. I have read two or three of those books, and I don't get the sense that the authors were setting up expectations for others to meet, but that they were helping others find ways to meet their own needs and set their own priorities. I'm thinking more of books like the Sidetracked Home Executives and the Messies Manual, not books like the ones written by Martha Stewart, whom I love, but yeah, I'm never going to meet her standards, lol. Even so, I have learned some useful things from her; OTOH, I tend to be fairly organized and tidy anyway, so there you go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread really speaks to me! I remember my dh telling me over 10 years ago when I was jumping math curriculum for like the 3rd time, that if I spent my time being CONSISTENT with something that was 85% perfect, it would be much better for my children than constantly switching in search of the PERFECT curriculum. Same hold true for me with the household stuff, decluttering books, etc.

 

So, ya.... And do I follow his advice, over a decade later? Um... no. At least not as much as I probably should. Obviously his point wasn't that you shouldn't look for ways to improve, other options, etc., but it's a mindset -- the quest for the perfect ___(fill in the blank)___ is a consuming quest that pulls me away from what matters most.

 

Can someone link me to some accountability threads that were mentioned, or do they change each week? Something like that might be good for me. There are so many threads here I feel like I miss a lot.

 

And limiting computer time would probably be a good idea for me, too. :thumbup1:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, this is very close to how I was handling things too---until I started reading all those books. I did like The Happiness Project best of the books I read. I wouldn't say my house is a wreck, just a little rough around the edges, and I am able to take care of it a little more as time permits. I suppose I am feeling like the emphasis on decluttering and household tasks is pulling me away from more important things that need my focus and maybe I need to stick with my own way of managing my life instead of thinking someone else will have a better idea.

 

I'm not really looking for help, more like wondering if anyone else has similar thoughts.

 

I'm sure there are those who read the books and then just use some of the ideas, which may be what I do too. But, when I read all the threads (some of which I've started) I sometimes think we are all looking for perfection and setting up impossible standards.

 

Now, today I have the entire day free and I am enjoying decluttering and organizing. But, I'm doing what I want, which is room by room, and not the kitchen as was assigned this week in the challenge I signed up for.

 

I absolutely have similar thoughts! Never buying one of those book again. It's just another thing I need to keep track of!

 

I do feel the need to simplify though, so I can keep up a little better with less time. I see this as the ultimate goal: a clean enough house in less time than I'm spending now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me reading about all these systems is about taking what works and tossing the rest - with no guilt. I knew right away that Flylady wasn't for me, although some seem to really find her motivating. The brain dump in GTD was a huge deal for me. I am not following his whole system, but that one little nugget gleaned has been huge in keeping me on task and clear headed. I really didn't get much out of Switch. I gave it a skim, and I found it interesting, but not useful. Some of the posters in the other thread gave me some lightbulb moments that I was able to turn into my own system. I am more organized, clear-headed, on task, etc. after this than I have been at anytime in at least the last 5 years. It feels great! I am so thankful for these threads and books, but I agree that they only are helpful if they move you toward your end goal. If they just bog you down, then it is probably time to move on and 'just do it'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Books, systems, and what not are obviously not needed by everyone.

Me... if "Do what you can when you have the time" was working for me, I wouldn't bother trying to find or adapt a new system.

 

My goal is not perfection, but the clutter and disorganization of my home really does impact my mood. The cleaner and more organized my house is, the more relaxed I feel and the more I can focus on the important stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it depends as well on your personal strengths and weaknesses. I don't need more encouragement to do more things. I tend to be a perfectionist as it is. I'm pretty happy with our habits in this area and our balance of time towards doing things and being together. If I start in deep on some new system then it will be to the detriment of relationships because if I write it down then I feel I have to do it. For me it really does work better to keep those things in my head and do it when time and energy allows. Planning too much and too far ahead just makes me a mean mom trying to make sure it is all accomplished.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I look at it this way (and I probably read a grand total of one book a year on organizing or on homeschool approaches, so I'm not a huge consumer).

I see them as textbooks. Some of my textbooks are very detailed and only cover a select area of study (Endrocrinology). Some of them are less detailed and broad in overview (Internal Medicine). They are very helpful to me. I use them. I use what I have learned from them all the time. All the time I am taking what I learned from one book and using it to integrate with the other.

And neither of them tell me how I should convince Ms. Jones to give her cat twice daily insulin. In other words, the information is useful to me in MY life if I take what I know and apply it a situation, and often a very, very rapidly changing situtation.

 

I think that sometimes it gets overwhelming--sort of like sitting down, going through my Endocrinology text and thinking about how much I don't remember or didn't know or haven't kept up with! And in the low moments I might entertain the thought that I'm not perfect enough, that if I was a perfect veterinarian I'd know and do all that stuff with every diabetic cat that I see. And you know, there are things I need to focus on doing more, yes.

But when all's read and done it's still up to me to consider Ms Jones and HER cat; just as it is up to me to take the information I learn from organization books and homeschool curriculum philosophy and apply when I need to. It's not about the pursuit of perfectionism as much as a pursuit of what can and does work in your own life. And sometimes the perfectionist in us needs to remember that too, speaking from personal experience.

 

I think it is good to read these plans of action. I think it is even better to think about how you are doing, and whether you need to try something you haven't done before to see if you can either get things done in a more timely way, or perhaps get more done. But I do think that setting aside a little time for the process (out of your own personal time!) makes focusing and sifting for what could work a little easier to do. I don't sit down and plan for 3 hours in one session. I'd lose my focus. But twenty to thirty minutes a day to me is not unreasonable and doesn't seem to bog me down. (Unless it is lesson planning--that gets me after fifteen!) It's about what works for you, not somebody else. But many, many of those books were written with some fine information on how to find out what does work, and why, which seems to me to be more important than the what, IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me reading about all these systems is about taking what works and tossing the rest - with no guilt. I knew right away that Flylady wasn't for me, although some seem to really find her motivating. The brain dump in GTD was a huge deal for me. I am not following his whole system, but that one little nugget gleaned has been huge in keeping me on task and clear headed. I really didn't get much out of Switch. I gave it a skim, and I found it interesting, but not useful. Some of the posters in the other thread gave me some lightbulb moments that I was able to turn into my own system. I am more organized, clear-headed, on task, etc. after this than I have been at anytime in at least the last 5 years. It feels great! I am so thankful for these threads and books, but I agree that they only are helpful if they move you toward your end goal. If they just bog you down, then it is probably time to move on and 'just do it'.

 

 

I got as far as the natural planning part and kind of stopped reading. That's going to keep me going for a bit, then I'll continue. GTD is a brilliant book!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...