Notes were used in our family for other purposes too! I remember once when I was very young- I must have been around 8 or 9. I was very angry with my dad- I must have put a note on my door or something. In the morning I woke up to notes all over the mirror in the bathroom- smile you are on candid camera! Stuff like that. My dear old dad...secretly I smiled to myself. Notes can be more than just lists...I used to stick notes in my partner and children's lunch bags...hmmm I should do that again! Just be careful what you put in your man's/partner's lunch! I found out the hard way when his work colleagues rooted through his lunch looking for food- and discovered the note!
When I was in my 20's and a single mom, I honed my organizational skills. Once my closest friend stayed at my apartment while I was away. She left me notes on all the cupboards with funny comments about how insanely organized my cupboards were! Another time, during one of my many moves, my mother in law came to town and was helping me settle in. She wanted to do something useful so I asked her to take all the spice bottles and put them on the turnaround in alphabetical order. She gave me a funny look and later asked me if I was kidding. Absolutely not! :)
I realized in my early 20's, as a single mom, I had to come up with a system that would not leave me so overwhelmed by all the tasks and activities. I also wanted to find a way to trick my brain into doing the tasks/activities which I continued to procrastinate doing.
I came up with the idea of a Job Jar. Every time I found something that had to be done around the house, and, would take at least 1-2 hours or more, I would write it on a piece of paper, fold it up and put it in the Job Jar. I also started one for the kids. I would list the chores, stuff them in their jar and let them pick.
I set up a Job Jar for outside work (summer/winter), inside work, jobs the kids could do and my many craft projects. I also kept a notebook with a numbered list of all the tasks/activities. Once a month I would sit down and plan out what I had to do in terms of my career, my kids, the house etc. I would then pull a slip from the appropriate Job Jar and would do the following:
- How much time would it take?
- What materials or supplies would I need to do the job?
- What equipment?
- Would I need help?
- Could it be done on the weekend or during the week?
I made rules. I could not go on to the next job until the first one was done. I would cross off the task/activity in my book just so I could feel the sense of accomplishment. If the job was a repeat job, I just folded up the paper and placed it back in the jar.
I felt so much better doing the work this way than with a list. The list sits there- it glares at you- it is easy to lose or to put aside because it looks so overwhelming.
The kids loved the Job Jar because they could pick out something themselves. They were allowed to trade with a sibling- if they could find someone who was willing.
My Job Jars were openly placed in my kitchen. My friends often commented on them and thought they were a fab idea.
We as human beings have very funny ideas. I see it in business all the time, and certainly in my previous jobs. We also do this to ourselves on a personal level. We have a job to do- or in the case of work- a proposal to write for a project. We always, always, always, under budget the time it will take to do the project. There is no point in being honest about it. I tried to be very frank and honest, more than once. Some projects I could do with my eyes closed- I knew exactly how much time would be needed. Inevitably I would be told that I was wrong and to shorten up the time horizons. I would, but without fail, we needed more time.
Over estimate every time so you can feel really good if you are able to complete the task earlier!
You can start this Job Jar immediately- just use some large mason jars or old pickle jars. You can decorate them any way you wish. Label them however you want and have as many as you want.
You may want to start the process by putting aside a weekend to just tour your house from top to bottom- make the list of all that needs to be done. Now, don't get side tracked and dig into a repair!
Go through the projects you have on the go and decide if any need to be done immediately or if they can go in the Job Jar. Use this time to declutter- buy some boxes, storage bins and garbage bags. Have everything ready and labelled- keeping, recycle, give to the cousins, give to the second hand shop, take to the dump....what ever suits your needs. Be ruthless- pretend you are moving!
Once you have this set up it is a very simple process. It is fun too because you have no idea what you are going to do next. You can stop procrastinating too!
Love and All Good Things,
The Peaceful Matriarch
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