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Thursday, April 18, 2013

managing time and sorting priorities








My mother always  says "If you want to get something done, ask a busy woman!", and this week I sort of know what she means.

I am approaching the busiest time of year here.  The garden needs time and care, the children will soon be on holiday,  our guest cottage season is well under way and April through to June will see me busy with clients coming to shop the flea-markets and fairs with me.  I love all of this, I'm certainly not complaining, but there are days that start with a sort of "gulp!  how is it all going to fit in?!"





I make lists.   

 I guess we all make lists.  It helps us determine a hierarchy in the tasks before us, and of course it gives such satisfaction when we drop into bed at night with the whole list ticked off - OK, I admit that doesn't happen as often as I'd like,  but enough for me to  remember how good it feels.





Recently I have noticed that being efficient  takes a little more effort and attention and,  from what I hear from my close friends, I may not be alone.

So, what is this all about?

In this age of technology, the very machines that are meant to be saving us time, can also prove very clever at wasting it too!   You know what I mean .... come on, admit it.  You go on line to check the price of a flight, or the address of a store, and an hour later  find yourself reading blogs or watching videos of dancing cats on You Tube!

I'm sure that I procrastinate more than I ever used to.  Maybe it's just laziness, but it is definitely more and more easy to find an alternative to the 'task at hand'.








It doesn't feel like I'm lazy though.  In fact I'd probably describe myself as a workaholic  ....hmmm ... did I just write that?!

So for fun I have devised a little test to see how organised/driven/busy we all are, maybe you'll tell me how you do:





 1:  Do you fall asleep at night thinking about what needs to be done the next day?               YES/NO

2:   Do you have a list beside you right now?                     YES/NO

3.  Do you have more than one list on the go at any time?                   YES/NO

4.  Do you generally get through everything on the list for the day?                 YES/NO




5.  Do friends turn to you for advice on time management?                      YES/NO

6.  Is your house always tidy, your chores always up to date?                  YES/NO

7.  Can you limit the time you spend in front of a screen?                         YES/NO

8.  Do you always finish one task before starting the next ?                YES/NO

9.  Are you always on time to appointments?            YES/NO

10.  Are your cupboards always tidy; your wardrobe colour co-ordinated?      YES/NO

11.   Are all your emails answered?      YES/NO

12.  Is your desk tidy right now?                     YES/NO




and finally - if you have answered YES to all of the above.....

13.  Would you please come and coach me?                 YES/NO!



As a girl who has no trouble admitting that there are so many odd socks in her house that she has a (very pretty) bag, embroidered with the  words "odd socks", just to keep them in, I stand in awe of the highly organised people I meet.   

Also, as mother to four children close in age, I tended to prefer a house that felt lived in and comfortable, than a picture perfect show home, but I have to admit that some people get the balance better than others.

My thinking is that all this is a question of genes rather than effort, but I'd love to know what you think.

To illustrate today's musings I thought the best person to turn to was Martha herself, the Queen of organisation.

Hey!  here's a thought: ... 'Martha organises My French Country Home', now what a blog post that would be!





all pictures with thanks to Martha Stewart Living




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