As December rolls in, it seems that everything gets busier. More to do with less time to do it in. With lots of people wrapping up for the year and taking time off over the festive season, I’m really feeling a vibe of more panic and intensity when speaking with people. When I speak to everyone and ask how they’re doing, I get a frantic “So busy”.. I’m probably the same but I love that this time of the year is busy. I remind everyone that this is what we’ve been waiting for. It’s the time of year, enjoy it and live for it as if you dare complain to me when it’s quiet I’ll pull this post as a “I told you so”. Be grateful you’ve a job and something to do.
I do hate stepping foot inside a shopping center though and won’t this time of year. It’s as though the back of my ankles attract people with prams. Thank god for online shopping is all I can say. Thanks technology, you’ve made my need to interact with regular people non existent (yes, I realise this makes me sound anti social and reclusive).
Why as a society, do we feel the need to put so much pressure on ourselves and others for a few days? Ask yourself when you’ve having a nervous breakdown in aisle 4 when you cant find the exact same colour red napkins you need. I’m a bit Grinch like anyway, but this time of the year is all business for me and I love it. I’m ridicously organised too and well, I’m already thinking about Valentine’s Day (as I’m sure that will freak a few of you out haha)
As a Virgo, I am an eternal list maker and when it comes to business- organised. There is a list, a process and a way of doing things for everything. I love bullet points, numbered tasks and highlighters. I have many a TO DO LIST and people they work. I prefer to kick it old school. Pen and paper so I can visually see what’s going on and so I can feel a sense of awesome when I achieve something (no I don’t write stuff on there once I’ve done it to tick it off either). The lists we use are many. We have a CRM which we use for our clients and for our staff as welln as a range of digital lists too. All serve a purpose, most are colour coded.
I also have for myself a Forever List, for what feels like it takes me forever to get shit done on it!
The forever to do list is my own personal to do list. It’s things I know I need to do and will eventually get around too. Needless to say things which are time sensitive or are super urgent don’t make it onto here. Some things can sit on this list for months. Somethings stay on here forever (and are a constant reminder I ought to do things more regularly – like reading a book, getting a hair cut etc).
Others are things that take me forever to get too because I procrastinate. They’re there to remind me I need to adult and do them (eventually) and when I do I feel like a balloon drop should happen in the room I’m standing or a confetti cannon goes off. That for having actually completed these, it’s a big fricking deal. Current things rocking my list are:
- Clean fridge out
- Grocery shopping
- New glasses
- Dentists
- Neurologists
- USA Trip
- Gynecologists
- Appointment with Skin Cancer Clinic
- USA Trip
As you can see some of these are being put off for good reason but need doing ugh. I’m far happier to put my own stuff on hold to do others. I’ll get to it eventually and keep an appointment…
I’ve come to learn that unless I have a list, I’m not as productive as I ought to be and I get distracted. I set myself time frames in which to get the tasks done too. I find this to be a massive help and plan my day out this way too. I close out any distractions as necessary, and limit the time I spend on social media and checking my emails (this is and can be massive in helping with your productivity). Just because you get an email at that second doesn’t mean you need to reply to it!
At the end of the day, I’ll write my list for the following day, so that rather than thinking about all that I have to work on and do- it’s not in my head freaking me out, but there for when I’m ready to pick it up again. Do this. It will help massively. Even if something crosses my mind when I’m in bed, I write it down (as to not forget about it) and so it’s no longer taking up space in my head.
FACT – You’re never going to get everything done in the time you think or as planned. Things come up, priorities need to get re distributed and the best laid plans of your day can often and quickly go another direction. Just go with it and then do the best you can to pick up where you took off. Cracking a hissy fit or being un forgiving for not getting it all done will get you nothing but an ulcer and more stress in your life. Remember to delegate what you can and also make sure you do things you enjoy too. I often will take break from some boring reporting to go and post on Twitter. Remember to balance things out and reward yourself. Make tasks fun and break those boring routines too.
Good luck with it all and when you’re on the bring of crazy, stop and ask yourself is it really worth losing your shit over? Likely it’s not. Remember if it all gets too much and you get stuck on something STOP. It’s more un productive to do something you’re not enjoying. Change task, take a break or give it to someone else to do…
Until next time,
Chrissy