time management? priorities?

[gardenmom5]

what methods do you use? 

how do you make things work for you so you get the most important things done?

[hornblower]

in no particular order: 

1) The bucket and big rocks analogy: you have a bucket. You have a bunch of big rocks and medium rocks and little rocks. The big rocks are the important things so they go in first. 

If you fill your bucket with the small and medium rocks first, the big rocks end up not fitting. If you put in the big rocks first, the other rocks fit in around them.  Figure out what your big rocks are and get them in the bucket first. 

2) procrastinate on small things until someone else does them or they stop being important or expire or whatever :) 

3) evening of day before, try to figure out what the 1-3 big things for the following day are, how much time they'll take and what order they need to be tackled 

4) keep an eye for the week, month, semester and year goals and try to break them down into littler chunks that get their own priority codes

5) I have the momentum extension on my chrome browser and so each day it asks me "what is your main focus for today?" every time I open a browser and you can keep a to do list running there... https://momentumdash.com/

6) I also use timers and the fliqlo giant clock screen saver http://fliqlo.com/ 


7) I tend to use lists and sticky notes to keep me on track day by day. 

8) Internet blockers.

By far the biggest time suck for me is the web and so I try to set up times where I allow myself to goof off on the web, and other times where I decide I'd rather read a book or watch an episode of a show or go for a walk or listen to a podcast while cleaning out a closet.... 
 

[mommaduck]

Started with my own schedule, that later someone wrote a book doing the same thing (MOTH). Then FlyLady. Combined Virtuous Woman and other Home Management Binder ideas. Enter ideas from Bullet Journaling. Just moved everything over to OneNote.

[Petrichor]

8) Internet blockers.

 

 

 

Do you have an internet blocker that blocks certain sites for a certain amount of time? I might find that useful.

[Petrichor]

I make a list of what needs to be done. Might look like this:

 

 

wash laundry

dry laundry

fold laundry

cook dinner

read x book

work on project

museum

personal time

clean bathroom

 

Then I number things to prioritize:

 

1 wash laundry

3 dry laundry

6 fold laundry

5 cook dinner

8 read x book

7 work on project

4 museum 

9 personal time

2 clean bathroom

 

Then some other things might come up:

 

 

1 wash laundry

3 dry laundry

6 fold laundry

5 cook dinner

8 read x book

7 work on project

4 museum 

9 personal time

2 clean bathroom

take DS to class

sweep floor

wash dishes

 

so I fit those in, by giving them decimal numbers:

 

1 wash laundry

3 dry laundry

6 fold laundry

5 cook dinner

8 read x book

7 work on project

4 museum 

9 personal time

2 clean bathroom

5.8 take DS to class (because i'll do it after we eat)

5.1 sweep floor (because I'll do it while I'm cooking)

5.9 wash dishes (I'll stick them in the dishwasher and handwash what needs to be handwashed after I drop off DS)

 

[hornblower]

Do you have an internet blocker that blocks certain sites for a certain amount of time? I might find that useful.

 

yup! Cold Turkey is my current fave.

 

The free option lets you choose the sites and how long it locks you out.  You get more features (such as breaks and the option to disable certain apps) in the paid version but I'm just fine with the free one.  It really does lock you out of your list of sites, across all browsers.  

 

https://getcoldturkey.com/

 

The other good one is Rescue Time. 

[regentrude]

1. Schedule things that have highest priority and are nonnegotiable: my job, homeschooling.

They get done no matter what. Doing other things while I have to be at work or school my kids is simply not an option.

 

2. Reserve consecutive chunks of time for less vital necessary commitments (doctor's appointments) and for enjoyable pursuits (choir, hiking, socializing). They are scheduled and will not get overthrown to do unimportant household tasks.

 

3. Fit necessary small flexible tasks into the nooks and crannies and use time confetti wisely. This is basically all housework.

 

I find that I have plenty of time to do everything I want if I use time confetti wisely and if I do not waste time on the internet.

Laundry machine runs while I make breakfast; I hang clothes on the clothesline before leaving for work.

I stop at the store quickly on the way home from work. I use the odd five minutes  here or there to scrub a toilet, swiff a floor, empty the dishwasher.

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2017 by regentrude

[gardenmom5]

. 

 

2) procrastinate on small things until someone else does them or they stop being important or expire or whatever :) 

 

 

 

My mother's favorite method.  ignore it long enough it goes away.

[Guest]

My mother's favorite method.  ignore it long enough it goes away.

...but you have to admit there is a certain wisdom in that.  

 

Big rocks. 

Rock slides.  (Urgent AND important and probably unexpected)

 

The things that only *I* can do.  That helps make decisions for what I can sign up for both long term and in the daily.

 

Eg.  *I* have to pay the bills.  That's just the way it works here.

BUT:  I don't wear all the clothes in this house and as long as *I* have something to wear, I don't really care anymore about other people's clothes issues.  And if they buy clothes that need special attention they are in charge of washing them.  I just do normal wash.

 

That said, when I am doing laundry, and it *is* primarily on my list (not other people's), I'll just do it all.  I'm not THAT bad.  And knowing how to work a washer and dryer is not on par with knowing how to work a nuclear energy plant, so I figure the guys can help out.  

[gardenmom5]

...but you have to admit there is a certain wisdom in that.  

 

Big rocks. 

Rock slides.  (Urgent AND important and probably unexpected)

 

The things that only *I* can do.  That helps make decisions for what I can sign up for both long term and in the daily.

 

Eg.  *I* have to pay the bills.  That's just the way it works here.

BUT:  I don't wear all the clothes in this house and as long as *I* have something to wear, I don't really care anymore about other people's clothes issues.  And if they buy clothes that need special attention they are in charge of washing them.  I just do normal wash.

 

That said, when I am doing laundry, and it *is* primarily on my list (not other people's), I'll just do it all.  I'm not THAT bad.  And knowing how to work a washer and dryer is not on par with knowing how to work a nuclear energy plant, so I figure the guys can help out.  

 

 

what are rock slides?

[gardenmom5]

Thank you, I appreciate the responses.  I'm supposed to teach a short lesson on time management, and it's so helpful to bring in others ideas.

 

the scheduling recreational time I thought was very wise.  It's so easy to skip.  It made me think of the days of mom hiding out in the bathroom.   And the picture someone recently posted of mama cat by the sink, and the kittens on the bathroom floor.

[Familia]

Thank you, I appreciate the responses.  I'm supposed to teach a short lesson on time management, and it's so helpful to bring in others ideas.

 

the scheduling recreational time I thought was very wise.  It's so easy to skip.  It made me think of the days of mom hiding out in the bathroom.   And the picture someone recently posted of mama cat by the sink, and the kittens on the bathroom floor.

 

My mother always called going into the bathroom (and locking the door): The Poor Woman's Vacation!

 

P.S. Do you mind directing me to that kitten picture?  

[Guest]

what are rock slides?

Sometimes you don’t see the big rocks coming. So you have to deal with big rocks you didn’t expect.

[gardenmom5]

My mother always called going into the bathroom (and locking the door): The Poor Woman's Vacation!

 

P.S. Do you mind directing me to that kitten picture?  

 

click on the link in blsdmama's post

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/661564-proof/

[Rosie_0801]

I've just been reading a chapter in a book talking about ensuring you schedule tasks that require thinking during your most productive hours, social engagements around 3pm to jolly you through the slump and mindless tasks during the parts of the day when the body is willing but the mind isn't.

 

 

One thing I used to do at times was half cook dinner during the afternoon when I still had the energy for it and the kids were playing, and finish it off when I was actually heating it up for dinner. I do love a one pot wonder.

[Carrie12345]

Getting Things Done is still my favorite resource, which was recommended here.  Unfortunately, I do still struggle with what to put first.  I have multiple responsibilities that carry similar weights and multiple hobbies that I love equally.  I do have to create imaginary deadlines for some things.  If only I could quit reminding myself that they're imaginary...