Monday, March 14, 2011

The Endless "To Do" List

It often feels these days as though I have an endless and bewildering "To Do" list, which keeps rolling and threatening to overwhelm me.

Everything goes onto my "To Do" list: my daily editing jobs, my own writing goals, children's dental or clinic appointments, my husband's weekly shirt wash, bills to be paid, general housework, gardening, food shopping, the car MOT, book reviews I've foolishly offered to write, family birthdays, personal letters I keep putting off, and even interviews I've agreed to do.

What keeps me on top of most of this multi-tasking? (I do fumble the ball occasionally, it can't be denied.) Believe it or not, it is this humble product below: the Pukka "Things To Do" book. 
 
I have not been paid to say this, but this little notebook has saved my bacon on more than one occasion. I fill it out religiously every evening, listing jobs for the following day, with any tasks left undone rolling onto the next day. Then I cross each one off the list as I achieve it.

My memory is so rubbish, I genuinely need something like this. It has 115 daily planners, with a large notes section opposite each list, so can contain far more information than could be squeezed onto an office whiteboard and, as long as I don't lose it or other factors intervene, it keeps me on track with all my various jobs.

Right. Now I can cross off "Update my blog at Raw Light". Phew.

8 comments:

Rachel Lyndhurst said...

Looks very useful, Jane. do you ever lose it though? I think I probably would!

Jane Holland said...

YES!! I do lose it, and there is much wailing and gnasking of teeth on those occasions.

But it usually turns up again, thankfully!

I'm on my third now. I use every page before I get a new one. That's kind of scary.

Jane Holland said...

Gnasking of teeth?

LOL.

Jo said...

I was going to blog about this very thing! I don't have a notebook like yours, but try to print off an A4 sheet of tasks each day (I didn't today!!). It always serves as a motivational tool. Without my lists I tend to drift around the house aimlessly, thinking, 'I guess I ought to do something useful, but what?'.

I may be investing in a similar notebook to yours, Jane!

Jane Holland said...

I get mine from WHSmiths. It's less than a fiver on Amazon though.

Myne said...

This will certainly come in handy for me.

Jane Holland said...

Love your blog, Myne!

Poetry Pleases! said...

Dear Jane

Tell me about it! My feet haven't touched the floor since returning home from France. Rusty's in a determined spring-cleaning mood which isn't helping matters at all. How I find the time to get drunk and listen to my music I just don't know!

Love from Simon