I followed my dad's advice for other things, and I still do. I keep my keys in the same pocket of my purse. That way I always know where to look for them. I do not need to waste time looking for them somewhere else because I ALWAYS keep my keys in the same place. This little useful tidbit of advice can apply to eyeglasses, bills, shoes, pens, and homework.
This idea of a place for everything and everything in its place is a "system," a set of activities that work together, so to speak, to form a more complex whole. Systems are related to habits, and I create a great number of systems to keep my busy life flowing in the right direction as smoothly as possible. There are many possible areas in a person's life that would benefit from having a system, and I recommend that you invest the few minutes of time that it takes to create a system list or a systems notebook. A system frees up your mind from having to remember what should be done next, and in many cases, a system will help you to save time over the long haul.
Borrowing from an idea that I learned from flylady.net, I have three basic systems hanging in my bathroom, which is also my wardrobe and dressing area. I have a morning list, an evening list, and a weekly list. These lists are the basic activities that I need to complete in order to get out the door in the morning (my morning list), to get to bed at a reasonable hour (my evening list), and to finish out the week with the most necessary chores taken care of (my weekly chores).
I typed out giant versions of my three lists with large boxes to be checked off when I complete the tasks. I placed each list inside its own plastic sheet protector and hung each list on the wall along with a dry erase marker. As I complete an item on any of my three lists, I mark it checked off the list. At the end of the day, I wipe off the marks I made with a tissue so that the lists are ready for use in the morning. Here is an example of my morning list:
- Heat water (I put a glass measuring cup of water in the microwave for making coffee)
- Take dogs outside (I have 6 grown dogs and 6 little puppies right now)
- Make coffee (aaaahhhh!)
- Writing-Thinking-Planning time (I do morning pages, a bible study, and my day's activity and to do lists)
- Exercise
- Feed big animals (donkeys, horse, alpacas, chickens, and outside cats)
- Feed little animals (inside dogs and puppies while I also make my own breakfast, which I will eat on my way to work)
- Clean something (wipe kitchen counter, empty or load dishwasher, scour sink)
- Shower and dress (maybe clean a portion of the shower while I am there)
- Put something away (because I have a propensity to clutter and can always find something)
- put out clothes for next day (including running clothes if I am running; I also plug in my running watch for charging)
- put something away
- swish and swipe something in the bathroom
- review next day's schedule
- pull together things I need to take the next day
- back out my schedule on my whiteboard hanging on the wall (I have a dry erase board where I back out my morning activities from the time I must leave so that I allow enough time to complete everything I need to do; everything on my morning list is assigned the time I need to start that activity in the morning)
- get food together (I plan my day's meals the evening before so that I have my packed lunch or dinner ready to go in the morning)
- take dogs out for last time
Try setting up your own systems. They can be great time savers.
Have a great week!
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