I am not an expert on productivity, by any means whatsoever. I am a procrastinator and some might even call me lazy. In fact, I’m procrastinating doing taxes (due tomorrow) right now by writing this post. So if you want real advice, I’ve listed some references at the end.
But, I am trying. In this post you will read about my journey in learning the art (and science) of productivity. I’ve improved so much that I felt compelled to write this post, instead of living in shame at my utter inability to Get Things Done. In case you didn’t notice, my “How-To” series only mildly came to fruition.
I’ve got several more in the works, including:
- How to Be Happy
- How to Clean your House
- How to Give Up Caffeine (ha!)
- How to Sell on Etsy or Ebay
I truly want to change and live my best life. I want to be a domestic goddess and have everything under control while maintaining complete humility that things won’t always be that way. I want a beautiful home that looks lived in, not perfect, but just right. Being productive, knowing what is the most important thing each day, will help me get there.
For some reason, I’ve recently felt compelled to tell people “I hung up my towel this morning.” Do they really care? Absolutely not. Do they think I’m a neurotic freak? Probably, but thats fine with me. This recent outburst and ones like it (“I made the bed!”) have led to the realization that I must be doing something right. Woohoo – StarXLR8 is finally growing up. It only took 27+ years to figure out how!
The Early Years
I was incredibly fortunate to have few responsibilities growing up. When I got to college, I had to call my mom to find out how to do laundry. I was unprepared for all the tasks that were thrown my way. Of course though, I was living in the dorm with cafeteria meals and a weekly maid.
On My Own
It wasn’t until senior year that I was allowed to live on my own (university rules) – cook meals and clean up after myself. I quickly discovered that groceries are expensive and food spoils. It took quite a while to learn how much to buy for a week and that one cannot live on cheese and bread alone. (Whew – good thing I discovered corn tortillas!) I also figured out that bathrooms need to be cleaned more than once a semester, though I still didn’t do it any more often.
She’s FLYing
When I moved to California in 2002, I discovered FlyLady. I felt the control journal idea was a little too neurotic, even for me. The baby steps seemed overwhelming, even though you were supposed to just jump right in. Two concepts stuck with me however – shine the sink and wear shoes. It feels so immensely good to have a clean sink. It took me nearly 5 years to get to my own special shiny sink place, but I did it! Though FlyLady prescribes shoes with laces, I wear my flip flops inside. They definitely help me stay on track when I’m trying to get housework done.
The 2 Minute Rule & Next Actions
My real breakthrough came recently when I learned about Getting Things Done or GTD. If you didn’t click on the link above, give it a google to read from the huge library of blog-work on this concept. I’m not yet in the thick of GTD as a system, but I’ve start to incorporate some of the concepts. The results have been revolutionary for me.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m an exceptional procrastinator. I once wrote a 23 page paper in 15 hours! I can put the simplest of tasks off for an incredible amount of time. The 2 Minute Rule has transformed this for me. It’s very simple – anything that can be done in 2 minutes or less is done now! It truly works. I wasn’t even trying to use the Rule, but once I heard the concept, it just started happening. I now save my procrastinating habits for larger projects (like taxes).
Thinking about ‘what is the next action’ has also helped my productivity, especially at work. It teaches you to break down projects into clear “next actions” that are discrete. This lends to great satisfaction as I am able to cross things off a list more quickly.
I am slowly learning about GTD form its cult following and hope to bring more of the ideas into my life, in tandem with FlyLady’s ideas. Success in this realm truly requires your own solution.
Adding Goodness
So what does this all boil down to? What’s the point of getting your list taken care of effectively and efficiently? It’s a gift to yourself, your friends and family. You will be able to add that great feeling of a shiny sink to your goodness list and be more receptive to life’s charming moments. So this week, I will introduce the idea of “Adding Goodness” through a series of posts designed to enhance your productivity and open your life to more sweetness.
Productivity Experts (Unlike Me)
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