Productivity By The Hour

 

Ever find yourself overwhelmed sometimes because you have so many little tasks that need to be done and you don't know where to start?  You look at your "To Do" list and shake your head thinking you'll never be able to get all of this stuff done.  "To Do" lists are just like elephants that need to be eaten one bite at a time.  But if you don't take that first bite your plate will stay very full.

 

I found a great way for me to knock that list down to size is to I literally schedule myself tasks to do, hour by hour, on a sheet of paper.  Last Saturday I did exactly that when my "To Do" list was starting to grow out of control.  I take a few minutes to map out what I can reasonably accomplish within an hour and then I get to work.

 

Between 11:00 and noon I sliced up apples for the dehydrator and got some items prepped and into our prepper pantry.  From noon to 1:00 I fixed lunch, we ate and I cleaned up the kitchen before my daughter had to leave for work.

 

From 2:00 to 3:00 I refilled feed bins, reorganized and tidied up the garage and took care of the recycling.  From 3:00 to 4:00 I worked on a home improvement project (more about that tomorrow) and spray painted a lid to spruce up an old peanut butter jar.  From 4:00 to 5:00 I made address labels and worked on my dayplanner for 2021 (loved that!) because it was something I really wanted to do that day.  Not everything needs to be a chore!

 

Five hours of sheer productivity and when I was done I got to cross A LOT of things off that "To Do" list!  There were a few items on my list that I didn't get completed because I ran out of time and I have to be okay with that.  They will go onto the next schedule and I will work on them at that time.  The fact is, I got a lot done and that's what matters.

 

Just about every Saturday I make myself a schedule.  Sometimes I only have an hour, sometimes I have more time.  Sometimes it is a lot of chores I'm working on and sometimes it is a lot of projects.  Sometimes I'm sewing, crafting or working on fun projects.  Whatever it is I want to accomplish I know that if I schedule it I can be productive and get it done.