get more done

I’ve been using a weekly to-do list for the past couple of months and that’s been working well for me. There are always a few things that get carried over from one week to the next but the vast majority of things get crossed off.

I’ve been good about getting more things done (mainly by wasting less time online), but I have to say I’m more tired than ever before. Hopefully I’ll get past this.

I’ve worked for 2 1/2 hours on things for school and have barely made a dent. I know what I’ve done is important (planning a new structure for the day in order to give the neediest students the most direct, targeted instruction time possible, determining who those students are and exactly what they need, then trying to put them in small groups of children who need the same things), but the day-to-day stuff is sliding. I’ve spent all that time and only managed to plan 2 hours for next week.

The ah ha certainly wasn’t an easier way to do this, but the realization that if it’s taking me longer to plan the materials (and this is just for about 1/2 my class) than it will to teach it, this might not be worth the time. Getting more done isn’t about the amount of time I spend but what gets accomplished.

I went to the big one’s school PTO meeting tonight and remembered why I don’t go… two and a half HOURS later! Long story short—I went and did something and now deserve to do nothing!

I didn’t sit down with the computer as soon as I got the children to bed. Instead I played with the Wii for awhile and then got started with the cupboards.

We visited my grandparents (who are 89 and 90) for several days after Christmas. I realized that they do more with their days than I do! Really, this goal needs to move further up my list. Not to mention that I need to get up and do something.

I never feel like I have enough time to get things done, but if I’m more realistic about how long things actually take (a call to the pediatrician—two minutes tops, not the 15 or 20 I think I need), maybe more will get done. I tried thinking this way today and got that overdue call to the pediatrician in as well as mailing some of the Christmas cards.

Today I cleaned out the fridge, freezer, and the chest freezer in the basement. Let’s not even think about discussing how much frozen chicken I found. I tossed everything past its expiration date and organized the shelves in the fridge so all of the leftovers fit onto one shelf. I also weeded through the cupboard that has all of my vases and candle holders and put a box of them down in the basement for the next tag sale.

I cleaned out the little one’s closet today. That was a biggie. Not much to throw away, but things to pack away, a big bag of outgrown clothes for Goodwill, and a box of nicer outgrown clothes for the consignment shop. There’s a lot of open space in there now! I also cleaned out the cupboard that has all of my candles in it. I found one from my wedding (1999), one from a friend’s wedding (1996), and one from a friend’s birthday bash (2002). Clearly it was time for that to get hoed out.

Today I did two mending projects on the little one’s stuffed animals. It didn’t take too long even though I had to stop half way through to try to let my eye rest. It’s been hanging over my head for months, so I feel really good about getting this done.