Do or do not. There is no try.
~ Yoda
I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately, but I’m finally starting to get some traction getting things done. It may be that I’ve started using a new planning system. I’ve started to use the MAPS portion of Mike Vardy’s The Now Year Formula. MAPS stands for Modes, Actions, Projects, and Schedules. While I’m still struggling with exactly how to use the modes (think contexts on steroids), I’m starting to get it. The other piece that I’m using to great effectiveness is the theming. Every week I look ahead and determine what my theme for each day will be. Yesterday was Household Tasks day, so the bulk of things that I did were related to running our household. While we’re down significantly from our max of ten living in the house, we’ve still got eight of us here, and everybody has a terrifically busy schedule. Whether it’s college classes, sports, or work it seems that someone is either just coming in the door or just going out the door. We’re still trying to have our meals together, but that has meant times ranging from 5:30 to 9:30 at night. No two days or nights are the same, so it’s taking quite a bit of juggling and concentration to get all the pieces to fit.
Despite all that, I’m making some real progress. When we added on to our house the first time, we expanded the kitchen and added a room for computers & homework. We call it the Nexus, loosely based on Star Trek’s Borg. It’s not quite that bad, but it’s closer to a hive than normal living space. Unfortunately, over the past few years, several family members have moved out…but left their stuff behind. The floor has become a collection area for all kinds of piles, the built-in desks have become unusable, and the room has deteriorated to a point where it’s virtually worthless. It’s been in bad shape for a couple years now, but I’ve never been able to get my act together enough to make significant progress.
Not long after starting to use the MAPS system, I got energized and planned out a day to attack the Nexus. I made a ton of progress. At day’s end I’d cleared the detritus from two of the kids and had two more areas well under way. I scheduled another day later in the week and continued. In the midst of this, I convinced Hectic 12 to work on her area. The offer was that if she would move everything out from her current spot in the Nexus and thoroughly clean it, I would let her move to one of the larger areas. She accepted the challenge. In fact, she did so well that I had to rush to finish cleaning the area that she had eyes set on.
One more day in and we’d gotten her moved, set up two computers to provide NAS services to Hectic Manor, and even moved in a set of shelving to hold all the magazines from my office. Her brother, Hectic 16, took the hint and cleared out most of his stuff. The desk and floor are still awaiting a deep-cleaning, but he’s promised to do that before the end of the day tomorrow.
The moral of this story is that getting started is the toughest step. Once you do that, the rest will fall into place. Because I was in cleaning mode, on a day that was themed for household tasks, I didn’t feel guilty that I wasn’t doing all the other things that needed doing. Those tasks will get their focus, but those three days over the past couple of weeks have made a huge difference in our organization. We’re still a long way from being done, but we’ve made huge strides.
The best part is that I feel good about it. Things are shaping up, and after a lot of years of being stalled, we’re finally making progress! Subconsciously I finally took Yoda’s advice and started to do.
I agree totally getting started is always the hardest part. I have been putting off organising our loft space. I will do it after my holiday you’ve inspired me! #twinklytuesday
Catie, photos or it didn’t happen! Seriously, I always forget to take the “before” photos, so then I’m the only one who knows how much better it is. I’ve also found that concentrating on a small area, a bit at a time, has worked well for me.
Thanks for popping over from #twinklytuesday. Make it a great day (cleaning & organizing)
You are so right – starting is the hardest part of achieving any task. I have so many things on my to do list that I’m sure won’t take long but I just need to get going on them. It’s so satisfying when you can strike a line through a job that previously seemed unachievable #TwinklyTuesday
Putting a big, fat line through those tasks is so emotionally rewarding! I’ve been working on breaking down my tasks into smaller bits so that I (1) get to draw more lines and (2) actually get some things done.
Thanks for coming over from #TwinklyTuesday. Make it a great day!
Good for you getting on the straightening up and organizing. I think I’m a bit more Hoarder’s than Star Wars these days as we are almost buried under toys and clothes. I actually lost sight of the floor in our bedroom a few weeks ago and only a marathon laundry folding session saved us. Good luck. #wineandboobs
Rob, there are days I wonder if we really have a floor in a couple rooms in the house. It seems that whenever I concentrate in one area, the others get out of control. I’m still wishing I could get some House Elves to help out, but I think the kids have been giving away socks to any that show up!
Thanks for coming over from #wineandboobs. Stay on top of that laundry folding. If you ever run out, you’re welcome to some of mine!
I totally agree, getting started is always the hardest step which is why I mainly live by the rule…don’t think about it, just do it! Wise words from you…and Yoda! Thanks for linking up to #wineandboobs!
Talya, thanks for popping over from #WineAndBoobs. It’s the most eclectic linky that I participate in, and the one I’m having the most fun with.
I love your rule of “don’t think about it, just do it!”. As soon as I say that, I put it on a notecard on my reminder board. It’s sitting right in front of my face when I’m in my office, so you’ve made a permanent impact on me.
Make it a great day!
Good for you!! I had an epiphany today as I was cleaning my daughters’ bathroom. I’m never going to find an organizational system that works for me forever. I need to be better at abandoning a process when it doesn’t work for me any more. Maybe it’s time for me to look into MAPS… for now!
Listen to Yoda always, we shall.
Thanks for linking with #TwinklyTuesday
MAPS has worked well for me, although I haven’t used it for long. It’s helping me focus on what needs to be done, but also gives me laser focus with the daily theme. It’s been good to be able to say “today is household chores day” and know that I’ll have a “blog writing day” really soon. Much less guilt about things than I’ve had in the past!