Downloading My Brain

Have you ever felt overcome by the tyranny of the urgent? Do you ever get to the point where you have so many things on your mind that you feel like you can't think anymore? Have you ever felt so scattered that you aren't getting anything done?

That's been my week. I have too many events and projects all piling on at once and my heading is spinning. When I get to this point, I have to do something to lessen the distraction of all the things on my mind scrabbling for attention. It's time to do a Brain Dump.

To do a Brain Dump, take out a blank sheet of paper and something to write with (a computer with a blank word processing document would work too). Sit down in a quiet to semi-quiet place and begin downloading your brain onto the paper. Write down all the different things floating around in there bugging you. Don't worry about what to do with them or how your going to get them done, just write them down.

Right now, I'm working on an eating plan, money-saving menus for the family, spring-summer wardrobes, and various household projects. I'm researching school materials for next year, waiting for Spitfire's baby, trying to work out a tricky financial situation, and trying to keep up with a pile of church events coming up starting with a luncheon today, church tonight, teaching 4-5 year olds next week, the kids' Easter pageant, and several upcoming youth events that must be registered for. Oh, yeah, and keeping up with the house, the laundry, the kids, homeschooling, and a husband with a crazy and constantly changing work schedule.

A bit further back in there, I've got camp registration, summer plans, upcoming birthdays, the looming first anniversary of my mom's passing, sewing I want to do, quilts I want to make, garden plans, and working on keeping up with this blog better. :) Whew! No wonder my thoughts have felt so cluttered.

Now you might be asking "What is the purpose of writing this stuff down? It still all needs to be done." I have found that when I can get all this down on paper, it frees my mind to start breaking it all down and dealing with it. I can step back from things and analyze them. I can prioritize and schedule them. I can create a checklist and work my way down the list. Once I get all the pressing matters banging around in my head out, I free the space for handling the items and I can relax and know that nothing will be overlooked. It keeps my thoughts from flitting from one thing to another because my brain knows there's a plan to address everything.

I know I can't be the only one who gets too much on their plate and starts feeling a little frazzled around the edges. So tell me, what do you do when you feel scattered?

Living by the Lists

Welcome Company Girls. The tea kettle is on and the cookies are warm out of the oven.

I am a list maker. I love books of lists and lists of lists. Now, I have figured out how to make lists work for me. In the past, I've made extensive lists of must-do items and then dealt with the guilt of not finishing everything on the list. Now I have a list that I can live with. It works like this.

I have a notebook for my lists so they don't get lost or scattered. I have lists for the major grocery stores I shop at where I can write down anything I run out of or realize I need to purchase. I have a list of miscellaneous things I think of that I would like to have for the house. I also have a list of things the kids need.

In the past, I've had kids not tell me when they were starting to run out of something or wear something out until it was a must purchase item. Then I didn't have the luxury of waiting for a sale or finding it in a thrift store or on ebay. Now they tell me and I write it down and start watching for the best opportunity to purchase.

For the house, I have a list of all of my ongoing projects that I can work on when I have time and check off as I go. I also have a list of time sensitive events, such as appointments or obligations. Lists of what bills are due when, what meals I have everything to fix, all the kids' sizes, and one of anniversaries and birthdays round out the book. My book of lists works better for me than any planner I've used so far. Maybe if you're having a hard time finding a planner or system, this could work for you too.