Since I’ve been off from hip surgery, I’ve obviously had a ton more time on my hands than I’m used to. A normal 9 ½ hour workday (including commute) leaves little time for everything I’d love to spend more time on, just like most of us!
My stock photography submission volume is nowhere near where I’d like it to be, over half the books in my bookcase haven’t been read (yet I keep buying them!) and there are things I’d love to do with my blog that require time and research, in addition to blogging outside my normal weekly series.
I need structure. I’m a list maker, I get it from my oldest sister who is the Queen of List Making and is very detail-oriented. Recently I was having a conversation with my other sister who is preparing for retirement soon and have had people ask her what she’ll do with all her time, claiming she’ll soon become bored.
“Are you kidding?”
That was hers and my response as well. Like me, she has many interests that she is looking forward to filling her days with. She spoke of going about her day when she retires, with no structure, and how she’d never get anything done if she allowed that to happen. That brought to mind for both of us our oldest sister, already retired, who gets up early every morning and makes a list of everything she wants to work on that day. She’s done that for as long as I can remember.
I mentioned my addiction to list making, and how I’m currently informally tracking my activities while I’m off work, kind of an effort to evenly distribute my time: physical exercise, reading, blogging and Netflix binging while I rest and ice my hip. I love lists. I love planning. I love knowing what’s done and what’s left to do and the satisfaction of crossing everything off at the end of the day, and having that feeling of accomplishment. This approach has definitely ensured that I’m completing all my daily physical therapy exercise as well as burn through my To Be Read list. Hehehe..
So! What works for you? Are you a list maker, too? What techniques do you use? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.