You know how when it rains it pours? Well, at the moment, in my world it’s pouring. We are moving house tomorrow, which even on its own is a pretty demanding life event. And it has to be said that two of the four people who live in our home haven’t exactly been able to pitch in.
I am also working fulltime for the next fortnight while Women’s Agenda editor (and new author) Angela Priestley takes a much deserved holiday. In addition to his always-busy roster, my husband has been in the midst of intensive preparation for a significant interview. To make things a little bit more fun last week I reversed into another car and an injury I have harboured for too long is playing up. (Unfortunately that’s a story for another day)
The upshot is my to-do list – at work and at home – is never-ending. On Monday night I struggled to switch off as five thousands urgent tasks swirled around my head. On Tuesday night, as I lay my head on the pillow, I remembered an app I’d downloaded a few weeks earlier and had the good sense to sit back up and finally start using it. I opened up Seize the Day and quickly plugged in 18 work tasks from the top of my head. I entered in about a dozen house-related tasks and then quickly fell asleep knowing what lay ahead.
Once yesterday’s newsletter and content was in order, I began powering through my work tasks. At lunchtime I went downstairs, found a spot in the sun and ticked off a few of my home-related tasks while I had a coffee. By the time I left the office last night I had done 17 of my 18 work tasks and it felt unbelievably satisfying.
There is nothing particularly special about this. Writing a clear to-do list and sticking to it is not exactly ground-breaking . It’s advice we’ve all heard a million times and it makes so much sense but, still, it’s easy to forget. In a downpour, however, those simple tips become invaluable. Aside from the fact I felt like I had accomplished a lot yesterday, the best bit was I didn’t feel like a big ball of anxiety at the end of the day. My worries gradually dissipated with each job I finished. I have a lot to do at the moment but with some focus, courtesy of my new favourite app, I know I can get most of it done and that’s a huge weight off my mind.
Do you use any apps to organise your life? Are you a to-do list maker?