I wrote about resolutions in this post. Today I thought I would write about the to-do list that so many of us have, whether it’s on our phone, calendar, dry-erase board or note pad. There are dozens of apps and specialty ways to keep track of things.

I love to use lists. Everything from dinner ideas to long term planning of projects ends up on a list. I found that it helps a lot if I am very specific on my lists. Putting “quilt” on a list doesn’t really give me any focus. I could wander into the studio and spend half a day looking at things without accomplishing very much. I saw this method of list makings once described as writing goals, not tasks.

In the studio

I usually have a few different projects going in the studio. Sometimes I want to be working on a project that doesn’t take a lot of concentration, so I might work on a simple quilt to donate. At other times, I may feel highly focused and work on a project that uses all my attention. When I was straightening up my studio a few weeks ago, I realized I had way too many projects going. I counted over 20! These pictures show a complex quilt on the left and some simple quilts on the right.

So I started a list – what else. My list noted the project and where the quilt was in the process – needing to be assembled, needing borders, quilting or binding. I then looked at it and decided what to work on first. My weekly to-do list then included the specific things I wanted to work on, such as:

  • Border on the bright squares quilt
  • Buy border fabric for art nouveau quilt
  • Binding on small scrap quilt

Now I know what to work on, but can pick between any of the projects that suit my current mood.

Housekeeping

This might bother some people, but my house doesn’t get cleaned from top to bottom every week. Walt and I both work full time and have plenty of other things to do. So I came up with a system that ensure that everything gets attention, but doesn’t wear us out entirely. As an example, we have book or media shelves in pretty much every room of our house. We run a duster over them but only take all of the items off the shelves about once a month. So one week it will be the CD (around 400) and DVD shelves in our TV area. The next week, it will be the fiction books in the bedroom (about 600). And so forth.

The same thing happens with the area rugs. We have hardwood floors but have rugs in most rooms for the dog to sleep on. I rotate which ones get washed each week, along with his beds (one on each floor of the house). That way, whoever has a little time can grab one and throw it in the wash.

Cleaning the kitchen is similar. Obviously, I clean up counters, sink and stove daily, but I do a more detailed clean of certain areas on a rotating basis. One time it will be the breakfast counter, meaning the coffee maker gets cleaned and the filter changed, the crumbs are dumped from the toaster, the sugar bowl gets washed, and the microwave gets thoroughly cleaned inside and out. Another time might be the fridge, where I pull everything out, wash all the shelves and polish the stainless steel.

Picking up is another chore that needs to be done all the time, but can be a bit vague. I frequently will grab a book to use as a reference (What is that bird on the porch rail) and then set it down and realize I left it later. So an item that is on my to-do list regularly is shelve books and music. It gives me focus.

Other places

Exercise is another area where having a specific list is helpful to me. My week might look like:

  • Monday – upper body
  • Tuesday – yoga
  • Wednesday – core
  • Thursday – rest
  • Friday – yoga
  • Saturday – legs
  • Sunday – rest

This not only helps me get in a good all-around workout, but also helps me keep up with the workouts because I see it as an item to check off. It’s harder for me to ignore the need to do get up and move. Especially on the dark, grey winter days, I would rather sit with a book and a cup of tea.

A similar sort of rotation helps me with practice on the keyboard. Is today scales or rhythm exercises? Since it has been a while since I have played regularly, I need to remind myself to get into the habit of practice. And the to-do list provides those reminders.

Of course, not everyone uses lists, but for me they are essential. And by being very deliberate in what I put on those lists, I can accomplish more with less time wasted, leaving more time for that practicing and quilting.