15 minutes, revisited.

Remember this?

It really was a great idea at the time -- winter, kids in school, a little spare time.  I diligently tidied the linen closet and made an inventory of the freezer.  15 minutes made a difference.  Then:  some extra work, late night play rehearsals & early morning homework, and 15 minutes was hard to come by.  I still have the jar on my desk -- for next winter.

I've often wondered how much time I could reclaim by simply staying up later.  This is in direct contrast to The Happiness Project, where the author determines she'll have more energy by getting more sleep.  I'm pretty good already in the sleep department, maybe it's time to stay up late one night every week or two, just to give some order to my chaos. 

As soon as I had this revelation, I went to my scribbled list of things I want to get to -- things that fit with my overall priorities, that will help make the rest of my day flow more smoothly, but at the same time tasks I enjoy and wish I had time for:

Update my idea file

File recipes

Cut out & paint new reverse applique projects (so I'm all set for family movie night, when I can never keep my hands still)

Make school lunch desserts & freeze

Make gluten free treats to send my brothers (celiac disease runs in my family)

Make family stationery & pre-stamp some envelopes

Blogsurf (I need a couple of hours for The Happiness Project alone)

Create some new playlists

Most of these fit into my priorities in one way or another.

Do you have any systems that work for you?  Or blogs you turn to for advice?  My laundry system works (usually), my grocery system works (generally), my etsy system works (mostly).  I would love to know what brings order to your chaos. 

Comments

[chel]

My miracle organization system? For real? Every week I have a "staff meeting". With just myself. But I treat it like I'm a little corporation with different "departments" (mine are: economical/budget, household and inventory, creative, work, health and well-being, social, volunteer work, RAK, etc.) and I go down each one and just focus on *those* tasks, writing down what I did for the week and what needs to be done, as well as random information about stuff that happened that week. At the end I make a weekly to do list from all my little notes (which I keep in a black and white composition book) and I know, from that point on, there is NOTHING else I need to think about or accomplish except what's on that to-do list. It's saved my sanity.

If things come up, I either jot them down on a post it for my next staff meeting, or if they are important, I hold another staff meeting.

It's a chance to clear my head every week, and not feel like "am I forgetting something?" all day, every day.

I know it sounds crazy, but it works SO WELL for me.

[Michelle]

I really need to pick up The Happiness Project. I see or read about it everywhere, and I'm thinking I'm really missing out on something good.