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Originally posted at: http://fourunder4plustwo.blogspot.com
*For the record, I'm running low on questions again, so please be kind and ask me a question or two in the comments so that I don't have to go through the ordeal of thinking up post topics for Saturdays by myself:)*
This week's 'Ask me Anything' question is from Krista, who wanted to know my one indispensable tool for organizing/multitasking. It's not that I don't like you, Krista...I wasn't avoiding you, just your question. Because I have no idea how to answer it. Organizing and multitasking, to me, are second-nature. They're a part of who I am, and not something I think about consciously. My mind works several steps ahead of my body, you see- while I'm working on one project, I'm thinking about the next three and planning the first steps for them all.
While multi-tasking is a wonderful ability in that one is able to accomplish loads of stuff in a small amount of time, it does have its drawbacks. For example, I have a very hard time slowing my mind down and actually just relaxing. At night I lie awake for nearly an hour sometimes, making mental to-do lists, going over the events of the day, picturing mentally how best to squeeze everything into tomorrow...If Ian wants to watch a movie with me? Sure, but I'll be doing some work on my laptop while we watch, ok? Or if we agree on no working while watching, then I'll take out the pile of mending/sewing that is oft-neglected, to at least keep my hands busy.
If I want to watch a TV show (confession: I'm a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory. By the way, did you know that Mayim Bialik blogs for 'Kveller'?), then I'll put it on while I bake bread or make cookies, or soup, or....something. The point is that I'm not even sure I really know how to relax. Need proof? Here I am, less than an hour after giving birth to More. Yes, that is a book in my hands. Sad, I know.
It's not that I don't enjoy things, because I do...just not so much one thing at a time. I suppose I'm odd, but I'm just used to it. There are other people out there like me, right? Right? How am I doing answering your question so far, Krista? See why my students love me?
We all know how I feel about bins. They are sooooo helpful for keeping our chaos organized. And I'll let you in on a little secret: you can label bins however you choose. So, say for example, you have umpteen boxes or kitchen miscellanea and have no idea what to do with it all. You don't want to sort it. So you put it all together in the same bin. And label it. Now it's organized. Sort of. But your house looks a lot neater, so it's basically the same thing, right?
In all truthfulness, the most useful tool I have is likely lists. I make them constantly. On tiny scraps of paper that are lying about the kitchen, most often in my head, sometimes on my phone as reminders, and I even occasionally make a list for Ian. My lists are forever evolving based on changing priorities according to the level of chaos that day, cash flow, work demands on my time...they are flexible, because they need to be. The point is that I've always got priorities written down and organized so that there's no avoiding them.
One thing of which I'm trying to convince Ian, who sometimes has issues with motivation and follow-through for projects that need accomplishing at home, is that a good way for him to achieve the best of both worlds (getting to veg out and relax after a long day while also accomplishing things at home) is to give one full hour of real effort around the house each day. Our kids go to bed fairly early, around 7:30 pm. If we both work hard until 8:30 then so much can get done, with enough time to relax (or, in my case, do research) before bed. The problem lies in the fact that once you've sat down for the evening, it is REALLY hard to get back up and start working.
I don't know if I answered your question at all, sorry
