First 21 Days

I guess since its March its time to start my 21 day part of my New Year's Resolutions (see 2010 resolutions in archive). My first 21 Day program is to make a to-do list every day. "What at list?" you ask. No these aren't regular lists, these are Prioritized Daily Task Lists (I don't care for that name either, sounds complicated) as described by Hyrum W. Smith, the Franklin Planner guy. (I'm reading his book: 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management--I love it!) So the idea is that your list reflects the things that you really value. If you value your family higher than you do projects, then your priorities on your list should be family type stuff.

So the last 2 days I've made a list and actually spent some quality time with Grant AND gotten the regular life stuff done. You know what? I feel happier than usual because I'm doing the stuff that really matters (playing with the kids) even though its really not as urgent. Makes me feel content. Plus, usually I do the easiest stuff first--send emails, make phone calls etc. just because they are the easiest thing to do but they are usually the very least important and least urgent. I'm also really quick to do things that are sitting around--cleaning the dishes, mailing that letter, putting things away, returning things to the library. These are all important things to do but when I make my list they are probably things that can wait 'til tomorrow or next week (okay maybe not the dishes) while the more urgent and more important matters are sometimes forgotten because I have no visual aids to remember them by.

Here's a sample of one of my lists (not that you care, but in case I need some refreshing in the future).

C-1 make enchiladas (freeze them)
B-4 Next weeks dinner menu
A-4 Laminate that YW poster
C-4 Work on Jordan's quilt
C-2 Read
B-3 Blog 30 minutes
C-3 Make list of women to help with Lasagna Dinner (at church)
B-1 Call Stevie (new neighbor)
B-2 Call Melissa about boys playing
A-3 Laundry
A-1 Read to Grant
A-2 Play play dough with Grant
C-6 Print stuff for meeting on Sunday
C-5 Call Jerry about table question
A-5 Store-milk, butter

The idea is to write a list in the order it comes to your mind (its easier to think that way). Assign A B or C to it according to what is most important and then what is most urgent. Then order by number. So you do all the A's then B's then C's. I always want to let Grant play as long as possible by himself so I can get stuff done but I find that if I put him first, then we're both happier and he watches less TV. Plus the laundry never gets crossed off the list until its done, folded and put in drawers. Looking at the list several times a day reminds me that I need to change it.

I heard about this program when Carl read the book 10 years ago and I tried to practice it without really understanding it. I thought it was dumb. It really is designed to make life easier and it keeps me (for two days at least) from wandering around the house trying to figure out what to do first.