Yes, it's that time of year again. And no, this does not mean everything on my Christmas wish list is related to running.
Has your mother/spouse/child asked you yet, "What do you want for Christmas?" If not, it won't be long before they do. Will you have your answers ready? Better yet, will those around you have their list ready when you ask them what they want?
My answer is the Running, or Cumulative, Christmas List. I keep a sheet of paper in the kitchen, and throughout the year jot down ideas as they come to me, or as those I give gifts to make comments about what they wish they had. It's how I know this year my husband's grandmother is getting a really awesome wine bottle opener like ours. She thought ours was so cool last year, and now I don't have to give a second thought to what to get her.
I also try to keep a running list of what I want but never bother to buy for myself. My family isn't quite as helpful in giving me their lists.
There are two AWESOME benefits to the running list. 1) You don't have to try to come up with last minute gifts and just hope the recipient will love them. 2) when you know ahead of time what you are getting each person on your list, you can plan your holiday spending wisely. You can look through ads to and buy when the item is on sale, or spread out the buying months so that you pay for everthing right away an aren't stuck with a mondo credit card bill in January. Most years my goal is to get the majority of my Christmas shopping done by Halloween. This year, that is definitely NOT happening, but it's nice to have a goal (as opposed to my husband, who before I came along was a Christmas Eve shopper!!).
If you are currently trying to assemle the wishes of all those you give to, here's another idea. If you will be with family for Thanksgiving, let them know NOW that you hope to collect ideas when you are together for the holiday. It gives them lead time to think about their own wish list. And, you should be prepared with yours as well.
If you have a lot of kids you buy gifts for, consider bringing all the Sunday ads with you to Thanksgiving (Target, Toys R US, etc.). Assign each kid to a different colored crayon, and let them circle all the things they want (be prepared for them to circle everything). Then review options with parents, and be sure to get current clothes and shoe sizes.
Finally, if you really want to get your point across, you can adopt my niece's approach. Last year she put together a three-ring binder with all of her wishes. She included printouts from websites that showed the store, item, price, color and size of everything she wanted. Do you think she might take after her Auntie?? Her specificity paid off. We knew exactly what she wanted, it took the guess work out of buying for her, we could look for sale prices because we had time to make the purchases, AND she got exactly what she wanted. What a lucky girl.
Happy Listing!
Until next time...
Missy
Render-Bits is written by Missy Render, owner of Render Lifestyle Management, a Twin Cities based personal concierge and errand running service, specializing in helping you create more balance between what you want to do, and what you have to do.
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Simplify Your Life Week: Simplify Your Lists
What will you do this week to make your life a little more simple, a little more calm, a little more manageable and a little more enjoyable?
If you feel like you are drowning in to-do lists and items that never get crossed off, one step to simplification is to call on Render Lifestyle Management to help. If you live in the Twin Cities area, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation to discuss your priorities and budget and let’s get you on your way to some simplicity.
While Render Lifestyle Management can help you get items on your list done, you still need to know what’s on that list.
Listing with Technical Tools
If you use a smart phone, you already have a great place to keep your lists. If you have a habit of constantly starting new lists and never knowing which list to look at, take the time today to consolidate them all into one list, and stick to using just that list. Another technique is to make your lists right within a daily calendar.
Listing with Pen and Paper
If you are a pen and paper list-maker like I am, that’s a great system as well. If the lists are not all in one place, take the time today to gather them all into one pile, and create a consolidated list. I recommend a smallish spiral notebook- it’s small enough to fit in a purse or backpack, and thus, portable. When you are tempted to start a new list, just pull out your notebook and keep it all in one place.
Non-list Makers
If you are not a list maker, that leads me to believe you have a great memory, or forget to do a lot of things! If you find yourself forgetting dates and things that need to get done, a great first step for you during Simplify Your Life Week is to start a listing habit. Get out the smart phone and learn to use its listing features, or purchase a small spiral notebook. What is imperative is that you commit to starting a listing habit. Once something is on the list, you don’t have to keep using mental energy to remember to do it because your list will tell you what needs to get done.
Sub-lists
Sometimes one list just won’t do. For example, if “grocery store” is on the to-do list, you may need a sub-list that contains all you need to purchase at the grocery. If your lists are all in one place, you can go to the grocery when it’s convenient and know your list is with you. This saves you from forgetting essential items and having to go back, or having to drive by the grocery when you have time to go there because you don’t have your list. Both scenarios necessitate a second trip to the store. That’s not a good use of your time or your resources.
The Running List vs. the Daily List
There are schools of thought for making uber-long running lists (allowing you to keep everything front and center and reviewed frequently), and for the shorter, daily lists. I’m a bit of a mix-breed, doing a little bit of both, sometimes more one than the other. I usually have a running list, but lately I’ve been using a great paper pad with headings for each day of the week. I stocked up on these pads at the dollar section at Michaels and am stocked for the year! For some of you, seeing a long running list without assurance that each item will be crossed off by the end of the day creates panic and a feeling of being overwhelmed. If that sounds like you, a daily system may be best for you. Have a page/list for each day of the week, and put items down according to which day you think you will do each task or must do a particular task.
This has been a fairly long post for one little tip. The take-away is really to think about what your listing habit is, and how it helps or hinders your productivity. Your biggest challenge is probably making a commitment to more productive listing. Hopefully some of this information will help you improve, or start, your listing habit.
Until next time…
Missy
If you feel like you are drowning in to-do lists and items that never get crossed off, one step to simplification is to call on Render Lifestyle Management to help. If you live in the Twin Cities area, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation to discuss your priorities and budget and let’s get you on your way to some simplicity.
While Render Lifestyle Management can help you get items on your list done, you still need to know what’s on that list.
Listing with Technical Tools
If you use a smart phone, you already have a great place to keep your lists. If you have a habit of constantly starting new lists and never knowing which list to look at, take the time today to consolidate them all into one list, and stick to using just that list. Another technique is to make your lists right within a daily calendar.
Listing with Pen and Paper
If you are a pen and paper list-maker like I am, that’s a great system as well. If the lists are not all in one place, take the time today to gather them all into one pile, and create a consolidated list. I recommend a smallish spiral notebook- it’s small enough to fit in a purse or backpack, and thus, portable. When you are tempted to start a new list, just pull out your notebook and keep it all in one place.
Non-list Makers
If you are not a list maker, that leads me to believe you have a great memory, or forget to do a lot of things! If you find yourself forgetting dates and things that need to get done, a great first step for you during Simplify Your Life Week is to start a listing habit. Get out the smart phone and learn to use its listing features, or purchase a small spiral notebook. What is imperative is that you commit to starting a listing habit. Once something is on the list, you don’t have to keep using mental energy to remember to do it because your list will tell you what needs to get done.
Sub-lists
Sometimes one list just won’t do. For example, if “grocery store” is on the to-do list, you may need a sub-list that contains all you need to purchase at the grocery. If your lists are all in one place, you can go to the grocery when it’s convenient and know your list is with you. This saves you from forgetting essential items and having to go back, or having to drive by the grocery when you have time to go there because you don’t have your list. Both scenarios necessitate a second trip to the store. That’s not a good use of your time or your resources.
The Running List vs. the Daily List
There are schools of thought for making uber-long running lists (allowing you to keep everything front and center and reviewed frequently), and for the shorter, daily lists. I’m a bit of a mix-breed, doing a little bit of both, sometimes more one than the other. I usually have a running list, but lately I’ve been using a great paper pad with headings for each day of the week. I stocked up on these pads at the dollar section at Michaels and am stocked for the year! For some of you, seeing a long running list without assurance that each item will be crossed off by the end of the day creates panic and a feeling of being overwhelmed. If that sounds like you, a daily system may be best for you. Have a page/list for each day of the week, and put items down according to which day you think you will do each task or must do a particular task.
This has been a fairly long post for one little tip. The take-away is really to think about what your listing habit is, and how it helps or hinders your productivity. Your biggest challenge is probably making a commitment to more productive listing. Hopefully some of this information will help you improve, or start, your listing habit.
Until next time…
Missy
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