2020 was just too overwhelming. I felt the stress (even after the Christmas rush was gone) and ended up in my Pinterest account. I have a saved section called “Inspirational Quotes,” so Pinterest sends me their “ideas” of what I may like to review next. This was the one that caught my eye:
Then I found this one:
This one lost me at #2:
I have a routine for every day, but life won’t check with me first before making other plans. So I have decided that in 2021 I will have only one goal:
MAKE IT SIMPLE!
Yes, I do have a MASSIVE to-do list that I keep and use in Workflowy.com. I use it there because I can pull up the list on any of my devices, even on my phone. It doesn’t matter where I am; I can pull it up and decide what needs to be done next.
The most significant change for me is not to get so wrapped up in the number of things to be done. It is as overwhelming as was 2020. Instead, I am choosing to work in a smaller perspective. I will be doing the following:
- STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT IS URGENT. This is to sort out the “have to get done now” things first.
- STEP 2: ONLY SELECT 3 TOP PROBLEMS. If I pick more than three, I am back into overwhelming again.
- STEP 3: BREAK DOWN EACH PROBLEM into the smallest duty or duties. Example:
- Clean up the woodpile by the barn
- Start on one end and work my way to the other – DO NOT GET DISTRACTED BY CATS! (My big downfall – love them barn kitties.)
- Continue on this chore until complete – I MUST NOT START ON ANOTHER TASK UNTIL THIS ONE IS COMPLETE!
The last part is my main issue. Distractions. The other challenging part of my tiny work plan is when we have a significant problem like:
- tornado,
- busted water pipe,
- fire,
- or any other disaster that needs immediate attention.
I need to learn that once the disaster is handled, I get right back to my tiny work plan exactly where I left off.
My hope of working this way will be:
- Get more done.
- Learn how to focus better
- Not be so stressed out from the large number of things to be done.
Now that Christmas is past, 2020 is past, and winter is almost past, it’s time to start prepping for spring planting. When our gardens are in full growing mode, the first half of every warm, dry day is spent just on watering. Once again, I will have to re-think my chore list. I hope that breaking everything down into the smallest steps will allow me to work on those while watering. I have used a timer on my watering system for years, and I hope I can stay focused to get things done simultaneously. Wish me luck! Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
You can also check me out at: https://helbergfarmstories.com/ for fun stories from our farm.
You can also follow my blog with <a href="http://<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/19061283/?claim=z558uya3tjs">Follow my blog with BloglovinBloglovin.com.
Life Lessons Lived 