Productivity 101: Stop Doing this! — Amy Louise Organizing

There are times in your life when personal projects exceed what you can comfortably manage on top of everyday demands. Consider two-parent working households, single parents, and homes in transition due to moving, injury or illness, caring for a family member, adoption, or divorce. There may be so many demands stemming from work deadlines and travel, care tasks, and major life events that more routine projects begin to fall through the cracks.

If you are in a particularly hectic season of life, you may not have a lot of gas left in the tank at the end of the week. This is when routine doctor and dentist appointments, vacation planning, home maintenance, long-term planning for children’s education, financial management, social time, and self-care (sleep, fitness, healthy diet, and spiritual practices) start to lag. Falling behind on important projects and activities can be extremely distressing for individuals who are used to being able to “manage it all.”

When we find ourselves in this situation, one of the biggest mistakes we make is trying to manage everything in our heads, or with inadequate tools (think, scraps of paper everywhere). Doing so creates a tremendous mental strain that can have adverse effects on sleep, mental health, physical well-being, and relationships.

So, what’s the solution? Most productivity experts recommend getting every project out of your head and into one central place. This helps you gain control of your projects and most importantly lets your mind breathe. Read on to get some basic project management tips that will help you calm the chaos.

HOW TO STOP DROWNING AND START DOING

The following is a step-by-step process you can follow to help improve project-management and ensure you aren’t trying to juggle everything in your head.

STEP 1: CREATE A MASTER PROJECT LIST

Your master project list should include as many projects as you can think of. You may be surprised by how many there are! Feel free to use whatever tool is easiest for you such as a hand-written list, a typed list, or a spreadsheet.

As a reminder to us all, a project is defined as something that has a beginning and an end. Any “to do” with more than one step is a project. This means you should not include daily routines such as showering, checking e-mail, doing dishes, making dinner, or walking the dog on this list.

Once you’ve created your list, flag each project as one of the following: personal; family/home; and work (including volunteer work).

You may not want to include the full scope of work projects here as you likely already have workplace-based project management tools for that. But this is a good place to put work-related items that significantly impact home life such as work travel or weekend events that will require childcare or adjustments to your normal routines.

Any time a new project pops into your mind, immediately add it to the list. Again, you are aiming to reduce the mental burden of carrying so many tasks in your memory bank.

TIP: If you have a spouse or partner, it’s often beneficial to share and discuss your list, or to make a master household list. Maintaining open lines of communication facilitates buy-in on this productivity tool and helps ensure alignment on priorities that impact the whole family.

STEP 2: PINPOINT 6-8 MONTHLY PRIORITIES FOR AN ACTIVE PROJECTS LIST

When you look at your master project list, identify which projects are the most important or time-sensitive right now.

Your objective will be to personally focus on six-to-eight projects on the list per month. Doing so will allow you to complete a substantial number of projects per year depending on the complexity and duration of each.

For example, “see the dentist” isn’t as complicated as “remodel the kitchen,” yet both are considered “projects” because they have multiple steps. One might take a couple days while the other might take three months or more. That’s perfectly okay!

When you create your monthly/active list, try to pick one-to-three projects in each of the following categories:

Personal;
Family/Home; and
Work (including volunteer work).

Once you have settled on your active projects for the month, run through each one and jot down any actions/steps/to-do’s associated with each. Finally, put these individual steps in order. If you can’t start a project without doing something else, you haven’t identified the first step yet.

Creating a master project list gives you the perspective that you can’t “do it all” at once; a focused monthly list of active projects helps you focus on what’s most important right now. If more than eight projects must get done in a month’s time for any reason, you may need to divide and conquer with your partner or another supportive person in your life. Work together to determine which projects are best suited to each individual and delegate accordingly. Whomever takes the project is responsible for managing it.

STEP 3: CREATE A WEEKLY TO-DO LIST OF ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR ACTIVE/MONTHLY PROJECTS

If you have eight active projects and do one or two action items per project per week, that’s a minimum of eight and a maximum of sixteen action items/steps/to-do’s.

Create efficiency by grouping action items by type of action rather than by project. For example, if you need to make phone calls for various projects, do all the calls in one sitting. If you need to run errands for various projects, try to group all these errands together. If you need to do internet research for multiple projects, try to set aside time at your workstation to do all these “like” tasks at the same time.

STEP 4: RINSE AND REPEAT

Update your to-do list weekly.
Update your active projects list monthly.
Update your master list every time a project is completed or conceived and needs adding.

RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU NEED SUPPORT

It’s easy enough to tell someone to start using new productivity tools such as master and monthly project lists, but oftentimes it’s much harder to put into practice. If you continue to struggle with productivity on your own, here are a few things you can do.

Rule out causes. If you consistently find it difficult to carry out certain tasks, a qualified therapist or medical professional can help determine if a cause such as depression, ADHD, addiction, or autism are causing executive function impairment, and help you chart a course of treatment or support.
Get a body double. If there are certain projects you find particularly odious (think, tax preparation or unpacking those last few boxes after a move), get a “body double.” A body double is a kind person who keeps you company while you do something you’ve been avoiding, or on which you consistently lose focus. A friend, family member, or even a professional home organizer can do this for you. Be sure to choose someone who is positive and supportive and let them know exactly what you need.
Consider working with a productivity or accountability coach. There are trained professionals in productivity. If you need more focused support to change and improve your habits around personal project management, you may want to search online for someone in your area who can teach you new skills and provide accountability.
Outsource and delegate more. If you find you are motivated to carry out your project-related tasks but simply lack the time to do so, you may want to consider what you can outsource or delegate to other people. Would it help to hire a professional cleaning service, send laundry out, hire a part-time nanny, create expectations among older children to contribute to certain household chores, or delegate vacation planning to your partner? If so, do it.
Learn to say no and create boundaries. If, after making a master project list, you discover there’s more than you can possibly do without sacrificing your personal well-being, it may be time to learn to say no and simplify your life. In this fast-paced world, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be all things to all people, but it really is okay to give certain things a pass. You don’t have to chaperone the field trip, bake cookies for the fundraiser, attend every event to which you’re invited, or answer every e-mail. Take some time to identify what’s truly important to you, versus merely urgent. Embrace the growing trend of JOMO, the joy of missing out!

HOW A HOME ORGANIZER CAN HELP

Most of my Chicago-based clients fit one or more of the following descriptions: they are in a particularly busy season of life; they are in a period of significant transition (think divorce or moving); or something such as ADHD, autism, or trauma has made certain things a little more difficult for them. In every case, they have brought me on as a partner to help problem-solve whatever is giving them trouble in their homes. Here are some of the ways I help my clients.

Clear backlogs of clutter by supporting them to go through items and helping them to donate or toss items that no longer serve them.
Understand their unique needs and create systems that work for them.
Serve as a body double and an extra pair of hands as they work on projects themselves.
Provide positive reinforcement and coaching as they journey toward organization.

If this is something from which you think you could benefit, please complete this form on my website, and I’ll get in touch right away. It’s an honor to help people in the intimacy of their own homes, and I always lead with compassion, non-judgment, and discretion.