Survey #289—Full Response from Kathy
| Describe a day on which you were busy, but you still felt as if you didn’t accomplish what mattered most. | I oversleep and have to jump into the workday without time for morning cleaning routine, juggle work tasks with various due dates, at end of day it's time to get dinner and jump into the evening routine. I'm tired, and I hope I'll be able to catch up on cleaning the next day. |
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| What challenges keep you from getting things done? | I struggle with oversleeping (being of a certain age, I sometimes wake up at 3:00 a.m. and can't fall back to sleep until 4 or 5 a.m.), but sometimes I struggle with "I just don't feel like it" when I look at my cleaning task list. Or I procrastinate because the task will take too much time and I need to get to work. |
| Describe a project on which you struggled to start—or to finish. | Painting the wrought-iron rails on the front door steps. It is a multistep task (assembling products and supplies, sanding, priming, painting, and cleanup). I have to wait for the right weather and enough time to complete the project. I know it's going to be hot as I'll be in the direct sun. I know cleanup will be messy because I have to use an oil-based rust proof paint and primer. I find it easy to put off because the conditions/timing isn't perfect. |
| What tools for managing your activities (calendar, task manager, etc.) are the most or least helpful to you? | Most helpful are a paper checklist that I print out for the week and write down my cleaning zone tasks, reminders, errands. I use an index card system (adapted from Sidetracked Home Executive [S.H.E] system). The index cards are organized in tabs and list chores, cleaning zones (adapted from Fly Lady system), seasonal tasks, reminders, etc. Least helpful are digital apps. I much prefer pen and paper. I've also never been able to maintain a home management binder and keep it up to date. |
| Please complete the following statement: “I never seem to have enough time for _____.” | yardwork. (my least favorite thing to do) |
| Our guest for the January 13 webcast is Karen Baker, a productivity consultant and professional organizer. What question would you like us to ask Karen during the live webcast? | How to you make a new routine stick? For example, I might do an exercise routine consistently for about a month, but then things get busy, I skip a couple of times, and it becomes sporadic. I never seem to be able to get back into a consistent routine. Thanks! |
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