Open loops, procrastination and self-esteem

Image from:  http://www.closetdesignideaspics.com/category/organizing-closet/

I'm reading a book at the moment called Getting Things Done (http://www.davidco.com/) by David Allen.  His photo is on the cover of my highly abused copy, and he looks so organized and relaxed in the picture.  He looks like someone I would both envy and yearn to emulate.  As a result of reading this book, I  think I finally have a real notion of what action management really means.  Reading Getting Things Done has inspired me to think about the most highly productive people I know, who get amazing things accomplished before breakfast, and how paralytically unproductive I feel at the moment.

Allen suggests that it is imperative to get the list of projects, tasks, and unfinished ideas out of the mind and into concrete holding bins such as e-mail, inboxes, or voicemail so that each project, idea or task can be approached by determining the next action required.  And furthermore, Allen suggests that everything in life be dealt with this way so that no energy is lost worrying about what isn't being done, or thinking abstractly about unfinished projects, plans, hopes and desires.

These ideas about organizing metal stuff have riveted me today, and it occurred to me that a lot of the time I spend feeling unsure of myself, or worrying about my performance is due to the fact that I have a bad habit of trying to keep everything in my head.  I have an enormous mental list of projects, but no list of tasks.  I have huge creative ambition, but I get blocked in taking the next step in obsessing about the end results.

So, I'm going to give this guy's method a try in hopes that it helps me feel better about my work and eventually my home, and consequently myself.

What must be done

What must be done is not always what is done.  Working in an environment where the urgent is always overwhelming the important, getting clarity on what must be done, what would be nice to be done and what can be done, but sometime later is key.

I currently have a project on the corner of my desk that is dragging me into the pits.  I don't have time to do a good job on it.  I know very little about what I am doing, and I am very concerned about the credibility of my team.  I also know I need to ask to have the project reassigned.  I could do a good job if I didn't have another all-consuming set of projects which are imperative.

The biggest thing today is that I'm yearning to do something completely different and need to get back to basics and focus on the work at hand.  maybe later tonight I'll be able to work on a crafty project.  Which is what I had intended on writing about when I started this blog - that's why its called "By hand"!

Remedial time management

One of the things that I always struggle with is my amazing ability to procrastinate and to sink into ridiculous or meaningless things, especially when there are dozens of pressing things on my list.  It is as if the longer and more ambitous the list, the more impossible it is for me to get any of it done.  And if I don't start my day off right, I can get sucked into a morass of inconsequential activities and make absolutely no progress towards any of my goals.

I have some upcoming goals and activities and I need to determine a way forward, outside of work hours to actually get done what might get done.  This includes some home organization projects, some cooking and baking projects and just as importantly, sewing projects, because I must have something excellent to wear.

The biggest event coming up is a birthday bash for my Mother-in-law, for which my husband and I have agreed to host a pig roast.  This is huge.  The birthday will be in the end of November (which could have any weather from cool fall to feet of snow) and we'll need to sort out all of the logistics, and prepare our home for the forty or so people expected to attend.

In other words, I need to make a plan, get my dear husband to agree to it, and implement it.  I feel like maybe I need a gant chart!

One thing at a time is my mantra at the moment, but if I don't get focussed, it will be a rush rather than a pleasure.  Wish me luck!