How to avoid errand/to do list fatigue?

[traineeinvestor]

The key to keeping the to do list under control is reciprocity: being diligent about making sure DW's list is as long as mine. Somehow we're still married.

As a side note, I make sure I tick off a a few things every day rather than let the list get too long.

 

[JoeWras]

Also, it is nice that the lawn doesn't demand a TLR (top line revenue) report from me. Nor do the shrubs want to audit my T&E expenses each month.

DW, a few friends and myself are going to start an agile scrum team. We'll list our chores in a backlog, groom them, and develop a series of sprints. Every day we will meet in a standup and ask the questions about what we accomplished. Gotta keep things going, you know!

<My prayer: I hope I never, ever, think this way for real in retirement>

 

[scrabbler1]

I still miss my Palm Pilot...

My favorite paper for making a list is the back of a junk mail envelope. Just the right size and heft.

I often use this, too. It comes in especially handy if I have to carry some small pieces of paper in it such as a check and deposit slip for the bank, or advertisements, or any coupons I will use at the store.

My list of errands to do is usually part of a food shopping list I may be putting together for a few days before I finally decide to go out. Most of my trips out include a visit to the local supermarket.

If my trip out doesn't include a food shopping list, I won't put together a list unless it has more than 3 items or requires me to have something written down to take with me.

The biggest to-do list I have had in recent memory included around 13 stops I had to make one morning. Some of the stops were for things for my ladyfriend (who works FT and couldn't do these midday things) but most were for me. Not only did I have a list but I needed to plan out in advance the order I was going to do them, as some had to be done in preparation for others, and I wanted to minimize my driving time and waiting time as best as I could. Took about 2 hours to get everything done, but it felt great getting it all done afterward!

 

[MRG]

DW, a few friends and myself are going to start an agile scrum team. We'll list our chores in a backlog, groom them, and develop a series of sprints. Every day we will meet in a standup and ask the questions about what we accomplished. Gotta keep things going, you know!

<My prayer: I hope I never, ever, think this way for real in retirement>

+1

No more boring specs and documentation required.

 

[O2Bfree]

DW, a few friends and myself are going to start an agile scrum team. We'll list our chores in a backlog, groom them, and develop a series of sprints. Every day we will meet in a standup and ask the questions about what we accomplished. Gotta keep things going, you know!

<My prayer: I hope I never, ever, think this way for real in retirement>

No problem, just claim a blocker at every scrum.

 

[FIREmenow]

Circular file.

 

[JoeWras]

HA HA! Can I say this thread is lifting me up this morning. Sorry for those who haven't experienced the joy of Agile-scrum. It is maybe an inside joke. I'll just say O2bfree and MRG have me laughing out loud.

I'm going to miss the process-of-the-day mentality so much. Yeah, right...

 

[Teacher Terry]

Scrabbled, we do our big grocery shopping once a month and then once a week make a fast trip for fruit, milk, etc. This has saved us a lot of time. Downsizing our home and yard has also helped.

 

[Doribe]

If you think about it the list is a direct result of owning stuff. List items are almost always fixing, maintaining or updating your stuff. The solution is reduce the amount of stuff you have. We have downsized significantly and that has made the list smaller and easier to manage. It will never go away.

First thing on current list- declutter

 

[Shanky]

Just have your Butler, Valet or Driver do the to dos.

 

[Amethyst]

Someone needs to write a program to maximize errand efficiency, the way the delivery services do with organizing truck loading and route choice.

The biggest to-do list I have had in recent memory included around 13 stops I had to make one morning. Some of the stops were for things for my ladyfriend (who works FT and couldn't do these midday things) but most were for me. Not only did I have a list but I needed to plan out in advance the order I was going to do them, as some had to be done in preparation for others, and I wanted to minimize my driving time and waiting time as best as I could. Took about 2 hours to get everything done, but it felt great getting it all done afterward!

 

[spncity]

I often use this, too. It comes in especially handy if I have to carry some small pieces of paper in it such as a check and deposit slip for the bank, or advertisements, or any coupons I will use at the store.

Aw, ya made me miss my palm pilot all over again

Before palm pilot, when we were overwhelmed parents of young, I made a typed, then photocopied, grocery list of the items we bought... and most importantly, it was in the order that the items appeared in a trip through the store. It was posted on the fridge so we could check or circle things as we ran out. Made grocery shopping the fastest ever!

I have taken the time to make "Reminder" lists in my iPhone - such as one for Costco, one for the grocery store, and one for "errands". That way you can just click the buttons on or off as you get (or finish) what you've entered. Then the list is still there for the next time. Just highlight the buttons again.

The errands list can be put into the order you need to drive that day, since it can change based on what time you start and when places open or close.

I still like envelopes though.

 

[spncity]

First thing on current list- declutter

I must say, this is hard to do. But feels good afterwards. Still, hard to start and hard to keep going.

But can't think of much that we regret getting rid of. You can read Marie Kondo's book for inspiration if you need it.

 

[jollystomper]

One interesting thing I am noticing - cleaning/building/maintenance/shopping to-dos are easier for me early in the day, and organizing/administration tasks are easier for me in the evening. When I organize my to-do list like that, I seem to be getting a lot more done.

 

[erkevin]

Someone needs to write a program to maximize errand efficiency, the way the delivery services do with organizing truck loading and route choice.

Mapquest already does this.

 

[spncity]

Most other errands are not that time sensitive and can be done on an "if I feel like it today" basis.

This is a great way to cut down on the tyranny of errands.

 

[kcowan]

I used a similar method when I was working. Back off an envelope list. It started with the most critical (medical). Each month I transferred the list to a new envelope. Now that I am not w*rking, I don't seem to have the time.

Every day at work, I made a revised list every day. I always included a couple of strategic objective us so as to not get caught up in the daily grind.

Now I do so little that I leave the important stuff for me on DWs list.

 

[scrabbler1]

Aw, ya made me miss my palm pilot all over again

Before palm pilot, when we were overwhelmed parents of young, I made a typed, then photocopied, grocery list of the items we bought... and most importantly, it was in the order that the items appeared in a trip through the store. It was posted on the fridge so we could check or circle things as we ran out. Made grocery shopping the fastest ever!

I have taken the time to make "Reminder" lists in my iPhone - such as one for Costco, one for the grocery store, and one for "errands". That way you can just click the buttons on or off as you get (or finish) what you've entered. Then the list is still there for the next time. Just highlight the buttons again.

The errands list can be put into the order you need to drive that day, since it can change based on what time you start and when places open or close.

I still like envelopes though.

The idea of putting together a list of stops to make first came to me back in the 1980s when I had a summer job as a messenger for a graphics company. I would go out to offices of architects and construction companies to pick up and deliver blueprints. While at my home office, my boss would write onto the top sheet of a small pad of paper all the places I had to go to for either pick-up or delivery. By the time I had to head out, I would look at all the locations and figure out the order I would take all the stops, as they were scattered across various areas on Long Island.

It was rare that I had so many stops to make with my own errands in the years which followed. The time I described earlier with the 13 or so stops was a rarity, but having that previous experience of planning it out did help.

As for shopping within a store, the main supermarket I shop at is one whose layout I am very familiar with, so simply looking at the list allows me to quickly figure out which aisles I have to go through to get various items. Sometimes, I shop at a different supermarket whose layout I don't know so well. Then, I feel so lost LOL!

 

[skipro33]

I have a to-do list, but I don't prioritize. Instead, I look at my list and ask myself what I want to do. It's more a reminder list of stuff I can do today. Some things are always on the list; fishing for example. It also reminds me I'm running low on supplies. Like beer. And chips. The only real thing I have 'to-do' is hammock testing while reading the news paper each morning.

 

[Philliefan33]

Aw, ya made me miss my palm pilot all over again

Before palm pilot, when we were overwhelmed parents of young, I made a typed, then photocopied, grocery list of the items we bought... and most importantly, it was in the order that the items appeared in a trip through the store. It was posted on the fridge so we could check or circle things as we ran out. Made grocery shopping the fastest ever!
.

This is why I love the Wegmans app. When I use the app to make my grocery list, it organizes the list in order of how I move through the store. It also identifies which aisle each item is shelved. The list automatically updates if I go to a different Wegmans location.

 

[Amethyst]

Maybe for the travel part, but what about the "doing" parts?

Mapquest already does this.