Getting something done

I'm tired today. I've had a heavy cold lately and was at the Bible college yesterday which is a long day. Being tired makes getting stuff done a challenge. Will power decreases!

The amount of time we waste is a great proof of the truth of original sin. Is anything accomplished by wasting time? By definition, no. Are we glad afterwards? No. Do we want to never do it again? Yes. Whole books are written on the subject. Yet do we keep on doing it? Yes!

I've benefited from reading various peoples' tips on their blogs (probably whilst wasting time when I should have been doing something else...) over the years, so here's one of mine that helps me through the very tired days (when the schedule isn't fixed already, that is - when the pressure of already fixed events and what needs to be done right now doesn't dictate the day already).

I write down a list of everything that needs to be done, then set a timer (on my phone, or you can use a stop-watch, alarm clock, etc.), and spend about 25 or more minutes on one thing before moving onto the next. (The length of time depends on how tired I am - the more tired, the less time on each thing before concentration gets a big struggle). Today I've been alternating - choose something hard, then something easy. If I don't include that rule, I'll just do the easy stuff - but it's a rule of life that most of the time the hard stuff is what really accomplishes something worthwhile. There's so much easy stuff that I could spend all day processing the lists of that - but that's only slightly better than wasting the day in terms of accomplishing the long term goals. In between 25-minute slots, make a cup of tea, pray, or tidy something - then do something else. Works for me. If I just write a list, or if I just start doing some stuff that needs doing with no list at all, on tired days I normally end up drifting, aimless, wasting time.

As I say, works for me and helps me to redeem the time a little better. Hope it helps someone else out there too!