25 & Trying

Productivity – Master or Disaster?

Various Types of To-Do Lists on Google

Every week is THE WEEK that I am going to have a fabulous color-coded planner. I take steps and I usually have success at making to-do lists, organizing my papers, and getting things done. But I used to be better.

In high-school, I had the QUEEN of all assignment books. Each square was coded a different color. Every period of classes (of which there were nine) was carefully annotated so that I wouldn’t miss a homework assignment.

Either way, it gave me a security feeling. There is something wonderful about the feelings that are enjoyed when you have some control over the things going on in your life. Even if they are the small things.

This month, I am embarking on a quest to get more organized. Sometimes, we can be meticulously organized in one area of our lives (work) and perilously unorganized in another (home). I have never in my life been 100% out of order, but I think my goals would have a better shot at coming to fruition if I get more up-to-date with my assignments.

Remember those days where all we had to do was the reading and the math homework? Our teachers broke things down for us in measurable and attainable steps – sometimes to get us motivated, other times just to get things done.

Nowadays, things are fairly different.

Sure we have tasks to complete at work, but they are usually more amorphous than concrete (especially in the nonprofit world). We have deadlines, but many are self-imposed. There are no longer tests in the traditional sense.

Among all of this confusion, how are we supposed to keep ourselves focused? We set goals, which is a big part of it. We try and lead ourselves in the right direction. We try to make sure that the things we want are the things that will ultimately happen. But it’s now up to us to create the steps, the deadlines, and the pro and con list.

I think that blogging, networking, and other attempts to organize our lives around others are really helpful for organizing ourselves internally too. We find ourselves more accountable through the written word – at least I do – and it is a motivating factor.

I miss the days of easy assignments, laid out in a perfectly crafted syllabus. On to the color-coded Moleskine.