Getting organised

It's crazy really, that I can get to my age and still not have a plan to do the housework!

Let me explain. Life is just too short to spend doing mundane chores like cleaning, vaccuuming, ironing etc when there's more interesting things to do like gardening, or other outdoor activities like diving, windsurfing, skiing, cycling, walking etc. Trouble is, there's just so many chores and so little time, and I have to do it at some stage, either that or live in a hovel (though some of my friends already think I do).

So for the last 20 odd years I've just managed to find a little time here and there to do a bit of housework, interspersed with a few yard chores and whatever else I'm doing. But I'm neither consistent nor persistent, so mostly it's too little too infrequently. Yeah OK, I live in a hovel!

I'm a list girl. I write big lists of all the things I need to do, for the year, for the month, for the week, for the day. The lists are always too long, and rarely do I complete everything on the list. Actually the only list I excel at is the one itemising what I'll pack when I go on holiday, in fact I usually manage to add a few extras onto that one!!!

Trouble is, writing down all the chores seems to make the whole thing overwhelming. I have ALL THAT to do before Christmas? And go windsurfing as well??

So it came to me in a moment of pure inspiration that just maybe if I organised myself a bit better I might have a chance of completing my chores. I am kind of wondering just how I hadn't stumbled on this possibility some time ago, like did I think I was some kind of superhero? God forbid if I'd ever had kids.

I wrote a timetable for the week, slotted in times when I'd do house chores, yard chores, yoga, learn Indonesian, study medicine, walk the dog, spend time on my photographs, and numerous other mundane intricacies of the modern working girl (not that sort of working girl!!), and even found time to socialise and - shock horror - take on an extra session at work!! I can't quite believe it myself, but I'm already less stressed and have achieved more in the last few days than I've achieved in weeks.

And all because I sat down with a pen and ruler and mapped out my day.

But let's get one thing straight - there will never be any time found in my life for ironing!