So Much to Do, So Little Time: Part 3, Identifying Your Pressure Points
This is Part 3 in my time management series. You can find Part 1 and Part 2 in the archives!
If you ask any time management expert, they’ll tell you that the key to succesful time management is simple realizing you cannot do it all. When you think you can finish everything that’s vying for your attention, you’ll inevitably fail and leave something important undone. However, knowing that the chances are slim of ever completing everything you need to, want to and have to allows you to prioritize to get the most important done.
Today, I want to specifically talk about prioritizing your chores and home management to-do lists. As a mom of three little ones, it sometimes seems like all I do is clean up…from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I go to bed.
I love having a clean home, but as time has gone by and we’ve added each child to our family, I’ve simply had to relax my standards. It’s been a slow process, but the key has been identifying my pressure points – the things that make me nutty if they’re left undone – so that I can get those out of the way.
These will be different for everyone, and to identify your pressure points, you have to first let go of other people’s expectations and focus on the things that are important to you.
Maybe your mother would be appalled at the pile of clean dishes on your counter waiting to be put away or your best friend would never leave a stack of papers on the foyer table as a reminder to take care of something. But if those things work for you – and don’t drive you nuts! – then you need to figure out which areas do nag at you so that you can worry about those first and the dishes and pile of papers later.
For example, about a year ago I realized that having our bed made in the morning was a huge pressure point for me. For some reason, I never feel on top of things if the bed is not made, but once I make it, I start to feel more in control. Once I realized this, I started making the bed as soon as I got up in the morning so that I don’t get distracted by real life once my girls start waking up for the day.
I also don’t mind if our main living area is messy during the day. I mean, it’s our living area, so I expect there to be toys and activities and projects spread out through the kitchen and family room. However, for me, having the bedrooms straightened and picked up is important. I know this is the exact opposite of how many other people feel, but since it’s one of my pressure points, I simply straighten up the bedrooms each morning as we’re getting ready for the day, moving anything that doesn’t belong in the bedrooms into the main living area so that I can find a home for it when I have time.
How about you? Can you identify your pressure points? Are there any that maybe you’ve been ignoring that continue to nag at you each day? Can you make those a higher priority and get them done so they don’t continue to bug you?
You have a great point here. Making my bed is also a pressure point for me as well as keeping the kitchen clean. I let the play area and living room get messy. It’s tough for me, but if I take care of my “pressure points” I feel a lot more under control.
Nicki at Domestic Cents’s last blog post…Remaining Driven
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We are just too much alike! I seriously can’t function if my bed is not made. My girls also have their “list” of things to do to their bedroom before we proceed with our day. I feel everything else just falls into place better when we’ve organized our rooms.
However, I’m not yet where you are with the “living area.” I have this vision of a perfect home…the kind you’d see in a Southern Living ad…lol. Three kids ages 5 and under..yea right. I know I need to relax on that…but how?! AH! Lol!
Brittany’s last blog post…Book #3 for 2009: Just Hand Over The Chocolate And No One Will Get Hurt
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[...] So Much To Do, So Little Time: Part 3, Identifying Your Pressure Points at Organizing Your Way [...]
I never thought of it this way, but you are right! My kitchen is one of my pressure points. Our kitchen and living room flow together, so you can see EVERYTHING in both rooms. I don’t mind if the living area is strewn with toys, but I can’t stand also g dishes, food, papers etc on the counters in the kitchen. I have to clean all that up before I can move on. I guess if one half of the “room” looks orderly then I can better deal w/the other half.
I also have to have a semblance of order in my bedroom, but if my son’s room has toys all over, it’s not as big a deal to me for some reason.
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My pressure points are kitchens and bathrooms, and a nice neat entrance hall, because when I walk in my door, I want to feel calm and peaceful
Marcia Francois, Organising Queen’s last blog post…Office Organising Makeover – Week 5 – e-clutter
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The links to Part 1 and Part 2 are not working.
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[...] It may be the ones you feel like you could most easily change or the ones that have to do with your pressure points. Or maybe you want to pick the most “obvious” ones so that you’re not left racing around your [...]
Thank you! I never thought of it this way! This is going to help me so much!
Yes, bed made, dishes and laundry are the first things that come to mind but I’m really going to give it some thought. This is great!
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[...] pressure points may be different than mine, but the key is figuring out which things impact your mood and stress [...]