January "Three Things"

[fidgiegirl]

So the former "three things" thread was super motivating to me, and I think others got some benefit from it as well. Thought I'd start up a fresh one for a fresh month/year, and also I think people feel better about joining in when it's a new thread every month - they know there is always a fresh thread coming up to join, or a natural break if they are ready to move on to a new focus.

So, as a reminder, the idea is to have a to-do list of only three items at a time - that monster to-do lists often do not help us actually accomplish anything - too easy to jump from item to item, finishing none, or succumb to overwhelm. Once something has been accomplished on a list, then another task can take its place. Did I sum up the concept ok? (Paige was the originator in this thread (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8831-quot-Three-things-only-quot-challenge&highlight=three+things))

My three:
1) Meal planning & ordering groceries
2) Fill out life insurance paperwork
3) Finish the kitchen bench cover

[iris lilies]

I "should" work on our will.ugh. yep, Just one thing not 3 things.

[danna]

I am starting for Jan 02,2014
But, for today I really accomplished alot....now to keep it up

1. volunteer 2 1/2 hours seniors home (not like I could skip I have committed myself)
2. Call re: amount on Mastercard that is incorrect
3. at least start to put away Christmas stuff (sort and declutter it as I go)

[frugal-one]

Clean 2 cupboards
Pay bills

[Gardenarian]

1. Pay bills
2. Physical therapy
3. Work on novel - brainstorming & outline (at least one hour today.)

Thanks for the boost, guys.

[KayLR]

Gonna jump in on this...a first for me:

1. Work on budgeting with the hubs.
2. Declutter my sewing room
3. Take my grandson to OMSI (this sounds like something you would not procrastinate on, but it is, trust me.)

[Dhiana]

1. Work on Cookbook
2. Finish Digital Classroom Book - Photoshop
3. Organizing my Office/Studio

[danna]

1. volunteer 2 1/2 hours seniors home (not like I could skip I have committed myself)Done it felt good to go but it sort of like
was talking myself into going to work after a vacation.
2. Call re: amount on Mastercard that is incorrect
3. at least start to put away Christmas stuff (sort and declutter it as I go) Done

For Jan03
1. Finish putting away Christmas stuff
2. Balance books up to year end......I do for Weight Loss Group
3. Do rough copies of two quarter end audits.

[lhamo]

I'll play!

1) File reimbursement for family eye exams and eyewear
2) Help DH finish his December expense report and square up reimbursement owed with his employer (and make sure we aren't loaning them large amounts of money in the future...)
3) Review ingredients needed for planned cooking with DD this weekend, and add to standard shopping list

[Onyons]

My three projects:

1. I increased my mortgage payment so that it will be paid off in five years! Did this on 2 January 2014.

2. I am going to put up my greenhouse.

3. I am going to organize my storage shed to include downing sizing items I do not need.

[Gardenarian]

Having difficulty with the writing, so that is going to be the ONLY thing on my list for today.
1. Get down chapter outline for new book!

[early morning]

My 3 things are DONE since they were work-related and I don't log in there....
1. turn in mileage
2. figure out payroll problem (from Sept :|( paycheck)
3. document followup of a software issue w/ a provider

[rosarugosa]

Good luck Gardenarian. That sounds like a tough but potentially very rewarding goal.
I got two big things done this week: bought new car and completed annual cleaning of the files. I would like to accomplish one more big thing from the following list: portfolio allocation and 401K rollover for DH, book February weekend trip to Portland, clean media collection drawers in living room or seriously tackle cellar.

[danna]

1. volunteer 2 1/2 hours seniors home (not like I could skip I have committed myself)Done it felt good to go but it sort of like
was talking myself into going to work after a vacation.
2. Call re: amount on Mastercard that is incorrect......................still not done
3. at least start to put away Christmas stuff (sort and declutter it as I go) Done

For Jan03
1. Finish putting away Christmas stuff....all done and this lead to cleaning so half of the house is very clean other half tomorrow
2. Balance books up to year end......I do for Weight Loss Group
3. Do rough copies of two quarter end audits.

Jan04 2. from the 2st not done 2 & 3 from the 3rd not done YET
1. finish the cleaning I started yesterday
2. clean out fridge of fruit and veggies that need to be used up
3. look at ebay for instructions on out to do it.

1.

[razz]

My three things:
* get two sewing projects done
* watch a six-lecture series before mailing it to DD2
* move a load of wood into the garage before the heavy snowfall tomorrow

[early morning]

today's major goals:
1. pick up cupboard (my Christmas gift to me from me). DONE! My sister came to help and a lovely gentleman at the antique mall helped us load it. It's in the middle of the family room now, where it will no doubt reside for some time to come. Or until one of the cats realizes that they can reach the chandelier from the top of it....
2. Oh wait - there IS no 2 today! eazypeazy!

[danna]

Jan 04
Working on what I have posted for the last couple of days....will be back to you soon..............

[fidgiegirl]

Wow, I've been awful at this, and I started the dang thread!

I just mentioned over at the decluttering thread that I'm feeling a need to declutter - physically or mentally - some projects (mainly sewing/craft projects). So I either need to buckle down and actually DO said projects, or let them go (disassemble, give away, whatever).

1) Fill out life insurance paperwork
2) Finish the kitchen bench cover
3) DH's scarf (Xmas gift! He only got the yarn in his stocking! :0! Hate to drag it out forever.)

How's everyone else doing? danna, looks like you're rockin' it!

[early morning]

3 things for today:
1. take lights off of tree (we took the ornaments off yesterday)
2. cut up said huge tree and chuck it out the window (to be picked up and hauled into the field another day)
3. find/print the inventory sheets and inventory the museum gift shop where DD works and I volunteer

[mschrisgo2]

I've been moving To-Do's from day to day... maybe some accountability here will help me actually get something Done.
For today:
1. Watch the 49ers game
2. Hang up the clothes on the chair in my room (and if they don't fit, find enough to discard to Make them fit!)
3. Put all the little piles of things to go to daughter's house into my car (going there one evening or another this week)

[Gardenarian]

1. Continue working on the book outline. Taking longer than I thought, but that's okay.
2. Go back to work!
3. Physical therapy.

[mschrisgo2]

from 1/12
1. Watch the 49ers game- DONE
2. Hang up the clothes on the chair in my room- Half Done, closet purge/ big bag of stuff to donate/ in progress
3. Put all the little piles of things to go to daughter's house into my car DONE

1/13 got all of my errands and the laundry DONE today

for 1/14

1. Finish getting clothes into closet, and unwanted clothes out
2. Tidy and vacuum bedroom
3. Celebrate clean bedroom!

[Gardenarian]

1. Work/ dd starts classes/ get her course materials from bookstore.
2. Tutor neighbor's kids
3. Laundry (will hang it out tomorrow.)

[early morning]

3 things from the 12th - done
yesterday - felt like crap after work so only managed to tidy up the kitchen after dinner, and watch Roadshow. :(
today's 3 after work:
1. move plants back from hall to living room (displaced by Christmas tree) - DONE
2. tidy up plants, repot as needed, put together IKEA tiny table-top greenhouse - DONE
3. help DD with inventory spreadsheets - DONE
4. (to make up for yesterday's lazyness....) wash and hang a load of laundry in the house - DONE

Tomorrow after work:
1. My night to check on Mom
2. pay bills
3. help finish up inventory if it's not done

[fidgiegirl]

Oh my. I have not done any of the three I set out to do, but I DID attend to a number of phone calls tonight after work. All had been bugging me. I also did up some new meal planning tools to help us keep at it.

Now to tackle the kitchen . . . ugh.

My three remain on the list, but the rest of life gets in the way!! :)

[Dhiana]

My three so far:
1. Work on cookbook - a few steps closer to done, several more recipes have been perfected. Obtained 2 Japanese embroidery magazines at Book Off so I can see how they like their patterns presented. Realized I haven't looked at ANY embroidery patterns since I was about 10. I've just winged it after I learned a bunch of stitches =0

2. Finish Photoshop Digital Classroom - halfway done with the book but none of that was completed this month.

3. Organize Office/Studio - Huge progress!! A couple of things have gone to the thrift shop including a 2-drawer metal file cabinet, de-stash sold on Etsy right away, most of the items have been organized, now it's down to finding a good home for all the misc bits and bobs that I use infrequently, but do use often enough to keep around.

[Selah]

Today?
1. Shower.
2. Work.
3. Er, that's it.

[Lainey]

Today?
1. Shower.
2. Work.
3. Er, that's it.

haha Some days it's: 1. keep breathing. Then call it good.

[Tiam]

1. Pay bills
2. Physical therapy
3. Work on novel - brainstorming & outline (at least one hour today.)

Thanks for the boost, guys.

Garedenarian, I was just reading something from Scott Young, (Neil Young's father) who was a writer. He had a similar strategy. 5 pages a day, whether they came easily or were like pulling teeth. 5 pages a day.

[mschrisgo2]

Well, in among lots of other things...
1. Finish getting clothes into closet, and unwanted clothes out DONE!!!
2. Tidy and vacuum bedroom - Done
3. Celebrate clean bedroom!- Done

Also got desk area cleaned and all paperwork gone through, YAY!!

[early morning]

today -
1. take down DD's tree and pack the ornaments w/DD, of course!
2. put away the rest of my Christmas things
3. re-pack the downstairs stash of holiday decorations and hopefully locate a missing box of candles

[Gardenarian]

Busy day - feel like I've already done 100 things! But what I really want to do:
1) go for a walk (short one)
2) work on my mystery novel
3) take down the laundry before dark and get it put away

[mschrisgo2]

For tomorrow:
1) Bathe, dry, and 2) clip my dog (cocker spaniel, 3 hr job)
3) Wipe down the entire bathroom after I finish the grooming job, as it will be covered with dog hair LOL

[mschrisgo2]

Dog grooming, and subsequent bathroom cleanup- DONE!!

for tomorrow:
1) launder dog towels- DONE
2) launder throw rugs- DONE
3) while laundry is running, make 2 phone calls I've been putting off Both- DONE

For Friday:
1) connect with 3 people to give Freecycle stuff to- DONE
2) list 2 things on eBay- not done
3) call about a long overdue refund check- DONE

BTW, I am really liking this system! It forces me to be both realistic and accountable. And I'm getting lots of things ticked off of my master list. Some days I get one or 2 more than the 3 done, but it feels really good to know 3 will be DONE.

[Gardenarian]

Okay, got the book outlined! So:
1) work on more detailed storyboard for novel
2) take dd to wilderness survival
3) go to bank to set up HSA for my new health insurance (not looking forward to that!)

[danna]

hi all

I started on this thread at the beginning of the month.....it was a really great kick start and I have been doing all of most of all
the things I wanted most days. The three things a day are so much better then a long list a the beginning of month and then just
getting lost in it. I have done a some decluttering, made appointments, read and did a lot of cooking from my stockpile.

Jan 26 I will try to :
1. start to research selling on ebay
2. do some posts on Kijiji
3. clean out my email box

[mschrisgo2]

For Sunday, 1/26:

List 3 things on eBay- which includes researching and taking photos, feels like this will be a big job.

[cdttmm]

I'm going to join y'all and see if this can help me stay focused day-to-day this week. So here are today's three things:

1) bake bread
2) apply for a job
3) finish syllabus for spring semester

[fidgiegirl]

Yippee, I have accomplished two of my original three items on my list. :)

1) Fill out life insurance paperwork DONE
2) Finish the kitchen bench cover DONE
3) DH's scarf (Xmas gift! He only got the yarn in his stocking! Hate to drag it out forever.)

Now:
1) Drop off insurance paperwork
2) Finish floor plan for building permit
3) DH scarf (I got distracted by making a cute pink hat for Team Yarn. Black stuff is boring to crochet :) )

[early morning]

Well we've had the flu here so my three things have been: stop coughing, take cough medicine which does not help us stop coughing, remember to feed the cats (while coughing). Now that I'm not coughing so much, today's three expands to 1. Hang load of laundry 2. balance checkbook 3. take down and compost at least half of the pine and holly that still graces the tops of our cupboards (I really tend to hold on to things I like.....)

[Gardenarian]

Today:
1) go to my cabin and see what kind of condition it is in after renting it for a month.
2) Do some cabin cleaning (my dd will do the majority but she is busy today.)
3) Finish my book synopsis.