Time and planning Systems...

I'm one of those people who needs 'Structure with Flexibility' in my life . . . .

My life, (like so many others), seems to be crammed to the maximum, with all that I need to, have to, must do, and that loathsome 'should' do!

 I often feel like a dog chasing its own tail . . . . running from task to task . . . oh yes I can say I am 'multi-tasking', however it often feels more like brain overload and 'brain drain' . . .  despite my repeated attempts 'to write it out, to let it out, and to de-clutter the mind' !!

I know that when I get to that point it really is time to STOP and slow down.

It also clearly tells me that my time management and action planning needs some improvement!!

The hardest part is to actually stop trying to complete the 4,218 tasks (well that's what it seems like!!) I'm engrossed in and take a deep breath . . . 

And, shaking my head, I know the theories about prioritising, completing one task before starting another, etc etc. . . . but when I'm in that learning, research, doing mode . . . the obsession takes over!!

Photo courtesy of picaland

So here I am, having taken a deep breath and plunging into sorting out the 452 pages of written notes (okay so another slight exaggeration!!) into their appropriate folders for filing when they have been properly assimilated, worked through or on.

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE paper, I love writing on paper, I love writing out snippets of info and writing lists and note taking etc.. etc..  I love it!!

I think I have an OCD.

Photo courtesy of Peter Skadberg

I love paper and writing lists . . . there I've admitted it . . . . yes there are all these online notes, and folders/files/documents I could use . . .   ah but the smell, the feel of paper with its crisp blank pages waiting . . . waiting for that first touch of pen or ink or graphite . . . aarh ~ the sweet pleasure !!!

Except for the filing of the then huge paperwork piles.

I'm working on creating a system/s that will be appropriate for all these different elements of my life. Terrified if I file it away I may forget the information and value that is contained within those pages . . .  pathetic isn't it !!!!

Oh well 'shit happens' ~ 

Too little creativity . . .

Well to be perfectly honest I've been really struggling the past few weeks. Despite eating well, resting when appropriate and taking vitamins; my health hasn't been so good, I keep catching colds or bugs and am just so tired all the time.

Unfortunately I'm still finding it difficult to fit in what I want to do, instead, my days seem to be full of what I need to do. I know that life can be like that at times for all of us, however it doesn't make it any easier to accept when it feels like one step forward, one step back.

That quest for the (elusive) balance in my life is once again at the forefront. If just one area of my life becomes 'out of balance' then it impacts every other aspect of my life.

The excessive tiredness and lack of energy means I'm pushing my self all the time and I understand how in one sense that defeats the purpose and compounds the problem! It's just so frustrating 'when the mind is willing, but the body isn't ............'

On the positive side though, I have caught up with all the emails and google reader items (having 3 email accounts - don't ask, long story!) which have meant far too much information to be dealt with usually; and have managed to cull a lot of subscriptions (newsletters, ezines) that just 'weren't doing it for me' any more.

I've also had my blogs set on 'private' recently to enable me to play catch up. Surprisingly one of the things I have missed most though, is the communication on Twitter !!! I have been 'off air' ever since the problems with computer and internet.

So I am starting the countdown to the weekend. By then I hope to have everything up and running again!

The Journey...

I've spent the last few days sifting and sorting through not only what was on my hard drive ( way too many 'saved' files I was 'gonna' get too .... plus all the emails ) but also a huge stack of paperwork, notes and A4 exercise books that I use to jot down various notes and bits & pieces in ...( additionally  there's my Google documents and online notepads !!)

Are you beginning to see the mental image of someone in drowning mode?? !!
Drowning in a sea of incredibly useful, often brilliant articles, newsletters, ezines;...you name it, I admit it. I am a  compulsive note writer, I love paper and pen/pencil....I love seeing and feeling the paper and words written down that I can go back over...

It's just not the same having all this information stored on the computer..no matter how accessible it is!

However I knew the time to organise and cull what was no longer relevant or needed was at hand....
In other words I was becoming so scattered and cluttered...not only physically but also mentally that I was drowning!  Struggling to stop gathering more information, more valuable web sites and articles to read and look at....

There just comes a time when you (I) need to stop and take a deep breath and be still and quiet to regain some equilibrium in my life.....

Time is running out....

Courtesy of Peter Skadberg

Been a busy time lately...... scaring my self with thoughts that 'time is running out'.....

My response : panic, stress, cry a bit and then work out some streamlined but flexible structures, (yes again, it's an ongoing project finding what does & doesn't work!!), followed by some action taken with baby steps!!!

I spent an entire day (which is absolutely ridiculous that I had that much 'stuff')...just cleaning out, sorting and sifting through all 'My Documents, My Pictures, My Downloads' on the hard drive as I was starting to scare myself about the amount of space I had left...

I cannot begin to adequately express just how good that felt when I was then able to follow up with 'Disc Cleanup and Disc Defragmenter '...the relief was a physical sensation when I realised I had gained some space....

And then today I spent approx  two - three hours using bookmarks manager to once again sort, sift and file appropriately the 482 bookmarked sites/articles/ links I had....

482 hey? Well it was close to that I'm sure....!!

Courtesy of Peter Skadberg

There were Artist & Creativity websites / blogs, Personal Development and Health related links/pages, Business, Marketing and Blogging how to's,...... Dora the explorer pages for the 3 year old granddaughter, not too mention the technical sites eg.computer jargon for dummies ...local community and even puppy development pages and web links.......and I don't even have the puppy my 27 year old son does......aargh!!!

And that is just the abbreviated list of what I had in & on my Bookmarks bar....!!! (I'm telling you 482 links !!!)

So my answer to organising this humongous list was to divide and conquer.... Firstly I created sub folders and into each of these I moved the appropriate link...so that now when I want to access that 'Magical and Marvellous......ah where is it?? Link' ...I can go easily into that particular subject folder and find it.....

Courtesy of Marcel Rubinstein

My sub folders are:
. Art related,
. Blogs related,
. Daily Favourites,
. Creativity and Personal Development,
. Marketing/Business/Planning,
. Photos. info,
. Health related,
. and finally ....Puppy related!!

(Of course certain links such as 'Help' pages and Dora the explorer remain in the bookmarks tab....you know how it is; the important stuff like that and Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, & Blogger !!! has to be accessible !!!)

And so it is!!