Yellow Post It Notes as Counters

By 5 pm last night I was exhausted and as I looked back on the day, I could not figure out what it was that had made me so tired.Still, I had to acknowledge that there wasn’t one job in me, not one job I could pick up and do – not even take a word document and just correct the errors on it, which words already done with underlining to signal to me to look at them.

... figuring out which bag I should carry all day ...
... I have to get what is downstairs, upstairs
and vice versa, though I don't know why ...
No surprise there.
As well, how do you like my new cargo pants
from the thrift store.  $5.00 was the right price.

At that point in the document, I would just have to make a decision one way or another about a word: “yes” or “no” but even that wasn’t in me.

Bonnie reminded me of a strategy that I have used in the past when I do small, insignificant-to-me jobs, but jobs that have to be done: folding the laundry, putting the laundry away; doing the dishes, working right to the last moment when the whole kitchen would be clean; thinking of words to type for a blog post, then editing it, and then posting it, and the re-editing it because the errors I didn’t find before pop out on the blog.

Anyway, the insignificant parts of the jobs above are the last ones where I really finish up what I am engaged in.

And in between the regular jobs on my list are always surprise events in the day: a knock at the door, delivery of beautiful apples that will now require peeling and making into pies as well as eating out of hand.

I have already started decorating for Xmas.
No surprise there!

 welcome gift but one that comes with responsibility.

Now here is my strategy, especially around the computer.

I have a pad of yellow post-it-notes by my side.

When I do a small job (reply to one email, three-hole punch a print out, move that printout to the right binder, that seems meaningless but takes time.

So I just put a small tick on that post-it note and when I get four of upright marks on the paper, I strike a diagonal line through that four, meaning now five small jobs are done, and I keep counting.

I can’t tell you how satisfying it is at the end of a long day when I feel that I haven’t done any work – to look at that yellow post-it-note and see how many sets of necessary, but not usually counted, tasks I have completed in the day.

A good reminder of why I am tired too to tackle one more task by 5 p.m.

Arta