Why I Don't Make a Daily To Do List (and what I do instead)
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- I'm sharing why I came to the decision that making a daily to do list wasn't the best for me. And I'm sharing what I do instead!
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This literally just happened to me this week. I have been sick for 2 weeks, and the house was demanding my attention in so many different areas. As I started getting my energy back, I was overwhelmed, and I heard your voice saying, "Do the dishes first". This helped me to have one thing done, and to realize that I did not need to catch up on everything in one day. I did several 5-minute pick ups the next day. My house is slowly getting straightened up. Thank you so much for these videos, and I listen to your podcast, as well!
Another basic habit that's really helpful: empty your handbag or tote every time you get home. Leave nothing in it except a comb, a pen, & maybe a couple folded-up plastic bags. If you do this automatically, you will never again leave a piece of cheese in it for 48 hrs, or forget the VISA payment is still waiting to be mailed, & the bag will be lighter b/c you're not carrying a lot of unexamined detritus.
I like to switch among several bags, so I keep a cosmetic-size zippered case containing money, keys, transit fare card, credit card, ID, & occasionally a library card, the absolute bare minimum, and simply move that case from one bag to another so I never leave the essentials home.
Good idea, but my essentials list includes snacks, tissues, meds, inhaler, hand gel… and on and on 😂 so I just use one bag all the time and cart everything everywhere! 😂
@@rosywilson3076 That's what I do Rosy.
@@rosywilson3076 I'm disabled, don't drive, use public transportation. My tote and my purse contents r carefully picked. When I get home they are put in order. Everything added on my trip is removed + gets processed. 😊. Then I restock them + put them by door 4 next trip. I actually find this system stops the clutter I used 2 gave in them. Ciao Amore.
Instead of feeling like a loser when you didn't accomplish every task on your to do list; don't write a list.
Wait until night time when everyone else is doing anything that distract you while you are enjoying your quiet time.
Make a Look What I Did today list.
Enter EVERY task you did that day. EVERYTHING!
Did the dishes?
Deep cleaned kitchen counters, stovetop, and threw out science projects from the refrigerator?
Write in detail everything you did in each room.
Writing cleaned kitchen does no justice for the amount of tasks you actually accomplished.
Cleaned bathroom doesn't emit the same bells and whistles as going in to details like PICKED UP CLOTHES FOR (X) AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
DECLUTTERED BATHROOM COUNTER.
CLEANED SAID COUNTER AND SINK,
So, no matter what you accomplished that day, write it all day.
It is delicious to marvel at the feats you tackled that day.
Go get yourself a journal you like and use it only for making a Look at what I did today. ✌️💖🙏🤜
I love this…better than crossing off a to do list. 👍🏼
Love this. I started doing that mentally just as part of managing/overcoming depression, etc. It was very surprising to me what all I actually did in a day and never gave myself credit for. So by the end of the day I was like well, geez. No wonder you didn’t get the other things done and no wonder you’re tired. In fact, you might’ve already done too much. 😅😅
X amount of cats for me. Lol. I also include things like X amount of humans took X amount of my time and energy....Bcuz that’s doing something too, even if you’re just listening to someone, entertaining someone or encouraging them. Not to always resent them for it, but to just keep in mind how that’s a real thing and it is time and energy costs, just as much as cleaning up is. It also helps me better manage who I might need to say no to or better identify and avoid getting caught up in what I call the “drain hole” user peoples’ problems (usually it’s certain adults who seem to always want too much “help” or attention from me). It also helps me delegate more things or ask for assistance when I need it and reevaluate what all I’m doing that is burning so much of my energy and time up unnecessarily. 😅😅
I did this for about 1 year after I retired. I felt like I was not being productive-however I was amazed at all I accomplished daily! It was so helpful. Need to do it again for spring😅
I mental cheer myself on, yeah got laundry done, not just through the washer and dryer but actually in the closet!! All the groceries got put away!
Yeah, I called this my Done List. I found it VERY motivating to do things just so I could write them on my Done List ✔ 💕.
I'm a do-list person, and checking things off motivates me. That said, I now abbreviate my essential routines into " E15, M15, L15" my early in the day, middle of the day, and late in the day routines that all take less than 15 minutes and all begin with "First, do the dishes." As I said, I find checking things off a reward. But with my abbreviations, my daily plan is no longer cluttered with daily minutia.
oh i like this grouping of easy tasks
Excellent!
I'm the same way! I gotta have structure; otherwise, I feeled overwhelmed.
I love it!! I'm a chronic list maker too. I definitely abbreviate them, And it's a bonus if it spells out a word lol
I like to be able to scratch thru minutiae on a written list. Not on my phone. I’ll even write down things after I’ve done them if they aren’t on my list Lol
On the days where depression is overwhelming me, making a list that says "feed the dog twice, walk the dog twice, feed me three meals, drink water, take my medications twice" really helps. I can tick off what I've done (the dog helps me not to forget about him!) and see the rest as achievable. And then throwing that piece of paper from the reams of paper in the house helps too, as I feel I've decluttered one thing. And one thing is better than no thing.
My husband's aunt was an Iowa farm wife and teacher. Her daughter told us that, "Mama would make a to do list with enough work to last for 3 days and then be upset with herself because at the end of the day she would only have done 2 days worth." She was a wonderful lady. 🥰
Haha! I loved the part about losing the list. It reminded me of the “frog and toad” story in which toad loses his list and is totally stuck the rest of the story because he has no list to tell him what to do.
I love the Frog and Toad stories!
Me too!❤
Made me smile! Read to my kids all the time, it was literally laugh out loud! Thanks for the memory.
LOVE frog and toad!! My middle son read all the stories this summer building his reading muscles!😊
I get satisfaction from checking things off on a list. So, I laminated my daily routine list. Now I get to check off completed items with an erasable marker, but don't waste time writing out routine items everyday.
I've been following your method for a few years now, and it amazes me how easy it is to get swept away in idealism and how "other people" manage their home. But every time I listen to your videos, reread parts of your books, or listen to the podcast, I am reminded of how necessary the daily non-negotiable tasks are. I followed your 28 day task builder and it helped me build the habit of washing my dishes everyday. (I fell prey to the adding too much to my list and then burnt out, so i didnt build the habit for the other tasks. )I also wash and dry a load (fold and put away days are a "project") and make my bed (it gives me an inviting place to relax in the afternoon) everyday. But I know that tidying the bathrooms, 5 minute pickups and sweeping the kitchen will change my home even more. That's my goal to build those habits over the next couple months. Thank you Dana!
I really enjoy the printed comments your son puts on the end of your videos. Gives me a reason to laugh. Also enjoyed the video.
Was going to say ... nailed it 😂
Why is it that when you say very obvious things, like these 4 daily tasks, it sounds so revolutionary? Thank you for telling me stuff I should already know, Dana! (I need to buy a broom just for my kitchen so it’s handy. 🙄 I know…)
Loved Reading through the 28 days! I have health issues and was way behind on dishes, so I'm making it a 4 month project. I did write those 28 days down, and I finally realized that I'd been trying to catch up dishes for more than 7 days already. Since I started working on dishes hardcore at the end of February, my stamina has gone from 5 minutes once a day to 10 minutes 3 or 4 times during the day
I also have health issues and totally understand. I can't just do the dishes because I'm only able to work in 5-10min chunks. So here's what helped me. I got rid of the majority of my dishes. They can't pile up if you don't have them 😂. Now I'm living alone and they never pile up. But I still keep a bare minimum of dishes.
@@leahrenea2709 YES! We have 8 plates for our family of 4, I have mugs and only as many as will fit so am very mindful about what I keep.
@@leahrenea2709 I am not allowed to declutter anything out of the kitchen (my kids stepped in and are planning to furnish their kitchens out of stuff so were upset I had been decluttering stuff they liked that I didn't realize).... Anyway, they are 17 and 19, so I just started weeding out stuff that I couldn't manage, and it is nicely wrapped and in boxes taking up the hard to reach spots in my kitchen. I'm actually still not done catching up dishes, but I am keeping up on current dishes and slowly but surely finishing up the dishes I have been behind on for years. We have a bit more than I would need for just me, and I do fall behind some days if I'm cooking for all of us, but I just try to keep plugging away at it. As long as I'm doing the dishes for that day it is better than where I was. Normally on the weeks they are home I'm not keeping up by Wednesday, but I skipped laundry today and have a couple things from supper tonight yet, but yesterday is caught up, and a few big items.
@@thegmanviews11 We do 2 plates and 2 bowls a piece too. And I'm struggling with silverware, we don't lose socks like many people do, but silverware seems to vanish regularly.
@@GoingGreenMom having less means washing up more but it also means washing up less haha 😂
As a fellow over-thinker, I have numerous long lists. Something that helps me is a daily "top 3" list of most important things such as financial, bills, appointments, etc. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to do those items. Of course I always do the dishes as well, thanks to you!
I recently finished your book "how to manage your home without losing your mind." It was a Monday afternoon so my Day 1 of "doing the dishes" was that day, ran the dishwasher twice and finished emptying it the next day (had some big pieces from my grill/air fryer). Today is day 4 and I found myself rinsing utensils and plates off as I used them so the food wouldn't dry on them and make them harder to rinse (I have a really old d/w and I have to rinse). I do live alone, and intermittent fast, so I don't have many dishes. So I will probably only have to run the dishwasher once or twice a week since sometimes all I put in it is a single cup or a plate and a utensil. But it's great b/c I'm doing it every day! And it does become more natural the longer you do it. thanks!!
Pre-made decisions ftw! Agreed. Life changed when I committed to making small changes. I don't like emptying the dishwasher every morning and starting it every night, but I am cranky and out of sorts when I choose not to do it.
That is a really good point! It is not the doing we like, but the end result. I also get the same way with exercise (my body tells me all about it lol).
Hey if that helps anyone about the dishwasher: I decided that I was only going to stand in front of it once a day.
Which means
1-empty it all on the counter
2- fill it right back up immediately with what’s in the sink.
3- Shut the door then put away the clean stacks.
If it’s full I start it, if not I start it a little later when more has accumulated in the sink.
No more filling it little by little all day long by “hopefully” everyone. Just empty it, fill it, done. I used to try to empty it in the morning and start it before bed, that meant I looked at dirty way more dirty dishes in the sink all day. Does that make sense?
I read your book Decluttering at the Speed of Life and it literally changed my life. I am a big thrift shopper and I went too far. I have since cut that way back and stick to actual needs or true wants. I have gotten rid of a fair amount of stuff and continue to do so. I trash actual trash (broken stuff, stuff no one would want). I do agree with kitchen being cleaned first and 5 minute pickup. To do lists do work for me, though, really helps with motivation and accountability. I try to keep them to just daily tasks. I don’t get discouraged if I don’t complete them. I have a couple of master lists for home repairs, big projects, but since I don’t look at or think of them daily they don’t overwhelm me. You are great ❤️ and all your ideas really are good. In the book you repeated concepts often which probably helped me most of all as I think I am OCD and a little attention deficit.
I really love the scrolling messages at the end of your videos - they always make me laugh.
I love all your videos and help and books - but I also love the comments by you and your editor at the end. I hope he is having a good year and look forward to hearing about it when you make videos with him again. Good luck Reid (and Dana!)!!
When I feel like sitting something down anywhere, I hear Dana's voice. "Take it there now". And I DO! I have my places established. My house is really under control thanks to these 3 ladies (Dana, Dawn and Cass), but I can get complacent when things are really nice (it's just this one little thing, I'll do it later). Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I have only recently discovered Dana and I love her!! I just finished reading her 1st book and I'm going to start the 28 days on Monday! I found that her advice to start with dishes and start with one thing at a time and slowly build similar to some things I read in "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. When trying to make a change in habits a big mistake people often make is to try to do too much as first and they end up burning out before a good habit it formed.
I was always kind of middle of the road when it came to messiness and clutter; not crazy messy but not super organized either. Having kids and moving around made my "clutter threshold" much lower. Thanks goodness for Dana and her advice!
I have mastered the detail to do’s, but I do have a ($ store) planner, and writhing down the extra things: Dr appts, pick up at pharmacy, a 15 minute project that I procrastinate on, etc, anything out of the ordinary. This keeps my life in order. No details, just a verb and a noun with a box around it. Some days there is only one, some days there are three…. Some days I get everything done, some days I draw an arrow to move to the next day! Greatest satisfaction is crossing it off!
Here is my pre-made decisions that had helped me. Each night I start the dishwasher and wipe the countertops. I take out the trash.
In the morning I empty the dishwasher and load breakfast dishes back in. I make the bed. And I take laundry to the next step. I never do all the laundry at the same time. It is too much. Also if I am getting behind I will do a “plus one” job. This has helped me tremendously.
I love you so much Dana!! I have major health issues & "the List" always made me feel worse when some days getting myself fed & doing the dishes was like a huge mountain. On the good days I would actually make myself sicker by running around madly trying to keep up with "the list." I read all your books as they came out & it made so much sense. Now I know what the "basics" are for each day & I can Add to the basics if I feel up to it. I actually get so much more done & my house is kept up so that "surprise" visitors can show up anytime. THANK YOU!
Hi Dana ! You are absolutely right about habit forming. When the dishes, floors,bathrooms and 5 minute pick up become a habit, you can do them on autopilot etc & all the rest of the stuff starts to fall into place. I think this is true in many other aspects of life eg. dieting & losing weight. It may take longer to get to your destination but it will be sustainable. So many people want to cut corners & find the fastest way only to fall back into their old habits because they haven’t taken the time to make new ones.
Very helpful. Thank you. I am feeling the truth in what you are saying because ever since I started doing my dishes daily after I did your 14 days to guests coming over, during the last holiday, my life has been different since I do my dishes everyday and I used to be the kind of person who had such huge stacks of dishes in my sink that I would take pictures and put them on Facebook for a laugh and people would be astounded at the condition of my sink but that's what it was always like.. and now I never have any dishes since I started and completed your 14 days to guess coming over. You are very good at emphasizing the importance of doing the dishes and I listened and it has made a difference. Now I'm trying to be a person who folds all the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer. Your laundry tutorial was very helpful as well. That was another tough one for me and so I'm just trying to get that under control and it's March now so I totally understand about you saying to get used to one thing before you get used to the next thing. I got used to dishes last holiday and now I'm getting used to folding the clothes in March. That is a huge difference in time between tasks.
I just want to add that the two other things that I do daily is to make sure that my kitchen counter and table has no clutter. More than a five-minute pick up, those were the two worse spots in my house because I use my kitchen table for everything. I've set up a paper station that's not at my kitchen table but it's still in my kitchen.
The other thing besides making sure there's no clutter on my table, is that I want to try to use my vacuum everyday because I have a cat and it really does the trick. I got one of those Dyson vacuums with that cat hair attachment and it has been a life-changer. Other people like Cass from Clutterbug uses their Roomba everyday but that's what I would do.
Thanks for changing my life. I tell everyone about you. You have really taught an old lady how to finally be neat and I really appreciate it
Hi Dana, It's all right to not do a daily to do list if you live alone. However, when there's a group of people (such as family) having a list on the refrigerator is a good idea to remind others what needs to be done, then they can share the work and YOU don't have to do it all. You can also post a weekly routine of tasks to be done and they can share in the load then, too.
I did the 28 days as prescribed and it was MAGIC! I don’t understand how it works… just that it DOES! Thank you Dana 🥰
lol I literally rewatched about 10 (or more) of your videos yesterday that I thought contained this information but couldn't find it. Believe it or not, this is an answer to an unspoken prayer for you to post these things today. Thank you Dana!!!!!
Lol! Dana, your son (editor) is hilarious! Bet I know where he gets his sense of humor! 😉❤
That used to be me - making extremely detailed lists every day and then feeling paralyzed by them, not doing anything (at least after having kids).
I have a white board monthly calendar on the fridge - absolute game changer for me. There is not alot of space, so it helps me to stick to writing down appointments and absolutely urgent items. Helped me from stopping to write these pages long lists.
On the top, the calendar has an empty field where you're supposed to write the month - but of course, I know the month we have. So I put in there "do the dishes" 😆 in case of overwhelm, one glance at the calendar reminds me of the only thing that needs to be done in that moment
I started my cleaner home journey with the fly lady system. I stopped because the amount of stuff she wants you to do is just overwhelming for me. However I did like that she has you start with just one habit at a time. So now that's what I do. I have combined your system of doing a habit until it's natural, but I still do some of hers like swish and swipe. The daily tasks I do are
1) dishes
2) make my bed
3) swish and swipe
4) sweep
These four things keep my home clean enough and I'm not mortified if someone drops in on me😂
Omg I also lost a to-do list. I also add too much stuff onto a list and will add things as I go. It's really easy for me to get overwhelmed by a list and then get demotivated by all the tasks on the list and do none of them or only a couple of easy things.
At the start of my decluttering journey I needed lists to keep me accountable,but 5 years later, I don't. I keep a broom in the space between my fridge and the wall, so I sweep the kitchen every day. I do dishes every day. I wipe down the stove top and counters after cooking. I clean my toilets and sinks twice a week. I sweep and vacuum twice a week. I dust once a week at least. I either do these tasks during t.v. comnercial time, in 10 minute spurts, or I do several when I'm feeling energetic on a particular day. I no longer stree over it, and my house stays clean. It's worth going on that journey!
With my home I do a ten minute tidy first because my livingroom is the first thing someone sees when I open the front door. Then doing the dishes is so smart. It is truly helping my home get better.
Every morning I make my bed, swish and Swipe the bathroom, and do the ten minute tidy.
Then breakfast and dishes. Also, premade other meals.
Then teach little ones.
You are so real! I appreciate your train of thought. It seems like common sense ideas. And it is doable. I needed this video.
If I could convince my family members, who are like you, to do one thing, it would be to "do it now." Your "Take it there now" principle works with everything. If you or whoever dumped the dog food into the container had finished the job by taking the bag to the trash you wouldn't have to deal with the clutter of it later. Whenever you finish using something/anything put it away, which could mean put it in the drawer, cupboard, etc, including trash/recycling. That one habit alone has kept my house tidy for the past 35 years. Even while raising and homeschooling five children. It's often difficult to get into that habit, but it actually saves time and mind. You have done a fabulous job teaching others to get organized and decluttered. I've even learned from you--those two questions you ask when decluttering are priceless. Thanks for being real and sharing all you've learned.
Dana, you explained this so well, here! Great video! Reid, you are so funny! 😂
Agree 100%. It's all about basic homemaking. Life is so fluid, and to be quite honest, I don't have time to sit, work on a pretty journal, and write down a list of "to do's" for each day. For those that it works for, great! But I do a simple prayer journal, and then my day begins in earnest. Lists have a time and place, but not daily for me.
I would love to agree but I have ADHD and it doesn't even cross my mind to do anything unless my alarm reminds me and I have it written down. If I turn off my alarm because I'm not feeling well or it's a holiday, it could be weeks before I even notice and by that time the house is complete chaos and I just can't think of what to do to fix the problem. I forget that I have a list without an alarm to tell me or it gets so overwhelming that I remember about my list. If I don't have a list, I will just wander around in a mental fog and watch tv to pass the time. I know I have to do something but can't get started. And, yes, this is just a basic "wash dishes, fold laundry" type list. I'm completely lost without it.
@@commenter5901 I can relate! I need to go to something tangible/tactile to get moving too!
@Commenter ... Don't feel bad.... No-one was born with a natural urge to clean and tidy up. We all need prompting or pushing to create the habits. 💋
Dana, your tips are SO HELPFUL for me and other adults with ADHD! The more and more you explain things I’m like wow we are so similar in the way we think!! The super detailed hyperfocus sessions, perfectionism, procrastination, and the needing to do things right now (or else it is not now, and not now means never haha) is so relatable to common ADHD struggles. Thank you for all of your help!!! 💙💙💙
My house was overwhelming just a few days ago. Life happened, as it so often does. So I did the dishes. Now the laundry is still sitting there in big piles and the childrens playroom is not tidy, but we are managing so far to have "normal" back in our lives. ❤
I agree making the to do list is oddly fun and satisfying but rarely leads to getting things done
Dana You are a dream come true for Adults with Attention Deficit!!!
R
Writing notes become an obsession and when done, I am too exhausted and overwhelmed to even beginning to move
I love the idea of Do the dishes every day..I even know it works. My problem is, Do the dishes looks different when you don't have a dishwasher and I have 6 people in my house who all eat at different times...all through the day. There are literally dishes in my sink all day every day.
I wonder, should some other people be doing their own dishes? Doesn’t seem fair if you’re doing them all?
@@rosywilson3076 I do agree but that’s easier said than done
@@ecbrent2 Oh, I know that! If I'm home/awake and one of my sons brings plates out to the kitchen, they'll probably put the in the washing up bowl, put the cereal bowl to soak - or even wash it up themselves! But when I'm out or sound asleep because it's the middle of the night and I've got work tomorrow... The dirty plates spread all over the kitchen.
I love your ending comments from you and your husband! So witty and cute!
I totally agree with making these things automatic! It becomes a system-a way of life. Just like the nightly 5 minute reset.
I find lists helpful when I’m afraid I’m going to forget something, especially if there are a lot of little details and a deadline, like if I’m leaving town I can list all the things I need to pack in the same place I list the household tasks and errands I need to do before I leave, and it’s helpful because instead of thinking “wait did I pack underwear?” And checking 4 times I can just look at my list and it’s crossed off (also helpful: writing how many days and nights I’m packing for on the list so when I’m deciding how much to bring I don’t have to check the calendar and do math: it’s already done)
Trying to do a daily to do list stresses me out SO MUCH because I do so much, there are so many little things that seeing them all written out makes me feel overwhelmed and makes it hard to relax until they’re all handled, and not finishing the list makes me feel awful. Maybe it’s the adhd, but I’ve never felt any sense of relief or accomplishment ticking something off a list, my brain doesn’t give me dopamine for that, if I’m looking at the list-even if it’s to cross a task off- I’m worried about the list. The purpose of crossing something off a list for me is so I can check the list as a reminder I’ve done it, rather than unpacking my bag to find my swimsuit and then 40 minutes later doing it again.
Thank you. You are such an inspiration. I listen to you nearly every day on either your videos on you tube or audible books or podcasts. I use to get so overwhelmed with everything and now i just make sure i do the dishes dishes and the 5 minute pick up even if nothing else gets done. 😊😊😊
I am struggling right now with my cleaning and decluttering. But my dishes get done every day. Doing the dishes every day was instilled in me at a young age. The dishes get done even If nothing else gets done. Thanks for the vlogs! They inspire me to do better!
I started to do the dishes before I found your channel/book. I do them while I am brewing my coffee. Sometimes, since I make one cup at a time, I do the dishes in stages, BUT, they get done every day. It was the best thing I have ever done for keeping my house clean.
I use the Bullet Journal method. I don’t decorate it. Just the basics. I don’t list daily things that I do every day anyway. But for things I tend to put off, like watering the plants, cleaning the aquarium. Also appointments. I get a little dopamine hit every time I get to check things off. I’m much more productive. On the days I don’t bother with my Bullet Journal, I tend to goof off all day and get next to nothing done.
Can you please make a video on how to do a “to-do list “ the right way? Not a daily to do list, but a to do list the way you would do it. I am interested to get your perspective on this.
I’m proud of myself for doing daily chores and resets, including dishes!
Thank you for this video and your others. You have helped me so much and you’re my go-to when I feel stuck and overwhelmed. You make it so simple and helpful!!
I love my bujo because of this. I can make a daily list or weekly list or any other time. I tend to overload my list and feel defeated because I’m aiming way too high! But I’m learning.
Sounds like habits are in place of a list, I like both but definitely don’t need to write down • wash dishes. Although I for sure need a list for some cleaning.
This is awesome.
I've been doing the dishes for 3 days. And today, after I watched a long video of you helping a lady, and me, putting several things where I would look for them, and seeing.. ahh!! I have space to put away this and that!
I reached a point where there were no dishes, my entryway (kitchen) was pretty under control, and I had my eye on sweeping the floor!!
So I was naturally working on this method without realizing it 👏🌹🙏
Love the comments at the end!! I don’t do lists unless I’m planning an event or really need something when shopping. I don’t do planners either- I so want to be that organized person and it lasts a week maybe 2 and then collects dust!
The onscreen editor comments at the end made me laugh out loud! 😂
I have the four habits (which are a super blessing in my life) written down on TWO separate lists..a daily one and a long
List for two weeks🤗 I have some mental revamping to do!!! Thank you Dana for this video.
I used to have a daily list, until my life/home got so organized I didn’t need it. I have a long list (I think of it as my wishlist) and small scraps of paper right beside my chair where I write down things I absolutely have to remember today. It’s perfect for me.
Thanks Dana. Just what I needed. Off to buy the book!
As always, I appreciate your common sense advice and how you break it down to the basics. Thanks!
I really needed to hear this AGAIN. I've been doing a mega decluttering for weeks and letting the daily things go. my house doesn't look or feel much better because my dishes aren't done daily. I feel like I'm always behind. I need that reminder. Thanks
Love your passion makes so much sense. Now I will take 1,2 make it a habit
I love your videos but my favorite part is the end where your son adds his comments. I love it! His humor reminds me so much of my own son.
I just watched this for the first time, and I love this message❣️❣️❣️
Loved the topic! Been working on eradicating to-do lists and almost any lists and also any note-writing for several years. So reassuring to hear you talking about it! And Reid's credits were extra extra funny this time!!! 😂😂😂
Oh dear those credits are 🎯 🤣
This even works for me now that I have a broken arm. Now function wise someone else has to sweep. Seems keeping this list in mind has kept me from being overwhelmed.
This is great, thanks! I kept making to-do lists but it just got out of hand until they had 150+ tasks on them. 🤣🤣 I do the dishes naturally out of habit now, just before making dinner every night. I always have this thing though, that I don't do ALL the dishes, I leave some undone. It was driving my husband nuts until I finally realised it's the same thing I always did at work -- I deliberately left some work undone so I had something to do the next day, and it made me feel more secure in my job. Well, I was doing that at home, too! Still working on that, lol, but I'm more forgiving of myself.
Happy day to you Dana and everyone watching! 💕
sweeping my kitchen is the big one that works for me. turns out that most of the time I sweep it I already took care of dishes and counter. Its also the way we all enter the house so its the first thing I notice when I walk in. everything looks better when one enters. Now to teach the rest of those walking in.
Love this! I’ve learned so much practical advice from you that has changed my home & my family’s life. Thank you!
Same here. Thank you!!!
I love all your videos! I listen as I'm working, but at the end of each video, I MUST stop what I'm doing to read the scrolling text at the end! ❤😂
You are right. I love lists. It’s a leftover from my job where projects varied and had deadlines. Now I’m retired, I need to not be detailed on things I already do automatically. It will cut down on over-organizing and get me moving. 👍
Absolutely. I think those of us at it for a long time get this. "Automatically done" is best description for the way we do things.
Dana, My kitchen looks SO GOOD, because of YOU. Also, I did ALL my laundry last Saturday, and have not given dirty laundry a 2nd thought throughout the week. Amazing!! The bedroom (where all the hampers are) looks great!! I will do all the laundry again tomorrow, and I can tell, it's nowhere near as much as it was. YAY!
Fully agree with both getting into the habit of these pre-made decisions AND what some commenters said about making a detailed list of alllll the things you did in a day just to CELEBRATE what you did in retrospect!
It is SO easy for forget what we do in a day and just feel tossed around in so many directions and wonder why we’re so tired.
I think doing both that basic automatic habits without a list and the “pay yourself in the back” list at the end of the day is a great combination for the self esteem 😄👍🏼
I love your content and message. My daily goal is to do the dishes and this has helped me tremendously! I have a really hard time watching the videos though because you go out of focus and it throws me off. My attention is no longer on your words but the background. 😂
Thank you for such helpful books & videos! Bless you! ❤
Just want you to know what a positive impact your methods have had on my home & mind. Thank you!
Ha! I clicked 'like' then 'unlike' then 'like' again in the span of this video -- because my daily to-do lists, which I also lose! include much more than housework. Job-related tasks; various financial household tasks, shopping, reach-outs to friends, family; volunteer commitments. And then it hit me. Why can't I build some of these tasks into the same structure that Dana recommends for sweeping the floor? I know I have to submit a time sheet on the first of the month -- why not start my month with preparing my timesheet? So it was back to 'like'.
I love making to do lists, BUT daily lists create so much anxiety that I can't look at them. I used to feel like a housekeeping failure after trying FL and others and achieving nothing but increased anxiety and an even more untidy home until I gave in and purchased your first book 🎉 so liberating and gradually my house is becoming a home I want to be in - thank Dana. My household planner no longer has long to do lists that don't get done, instead has reminders of appointments and routine changes (eg laundry day ❤ which I love, needs to be split over a few evenings because of events on this weekend only, next week I'm back to routines and don't need reminding) - so liberating. I knew I found my 'pack' when I read my house is not a project (I love and use GTD but it wasn't working at home and I couldn't figure out know why) ❤
Great video! Lol I love checking off lists, I have dishes almost always done daily. The others you mentioned: lightbulb moment! I made a list with ( yes I did😂) with time allotments for each 5 minutes, etc. then I’ll set my timer as I start. Looks like 30 minutes should get a lot accomplished!! I set my timer for 5 empty dw, 5 fill DW etc
I have my lists on my phone notes. I can delete the items as I do them until the list is gone. Very satisfying.
I also have short term goals and long term lists for when I have extra energy and time.
The fact that right before you said it I was thinking ok, so just make a permanent list that I can see every day... noooooo!!! Habit building, not list following for the daily basics!! Thank you for being you. You're my brain twin!❤❤😂
I can relate to you soo much thanks for your videos
Good reminder. I'm doing ok with the dishes and do the pickup but over the course of the day. Not yet at the kitchen or bathroom level.
Nice to see you, Dana.
I barely started listening. But the first thing I noticed was how awesome your curls look! Wow!
OK, now I’ll get back to hoping to find something that works for me as to do list don’t work for me either
Great tips. Thanks. Perhaps you could stand or sit in front of a fixed point so the camera can focus on you. That would make it easier for us to focus on your message. Best regards for 2023!
For this ADHD person, I was always leaving dishes all over the counter. Once I added dishes as priority, it changed everything.
I keep a list in Microsoft To-Do (works on phone or pc/laptop) with chores that need doing - I can list them just once and do them and they're gone from the list; or I put something in as a repeating task that comes back every week or every whatever many days, and I don't have to think about it until it pops up in the list (e.g. change toothbrush every two months). May not work for everybody but it's a great way of doing things for me.
Girl, love you and you've made a huge difference in my life. So please take this with a gentle heart - You need a new camera! The one you have doesn't keep a focus on you. Either get a new one or see if there is a setting on your current one to focus on your face. In this video, everything behind you is in focus vs. you. Have you heard of the Mevo cameras on Amazon? They are relatively inexpensive and you control the camera with an app on your phone. It's perfect for you for pre-records and streaming. They are made by Logitech, a company that complies with the Buy American Act so those products can be used by the US government. You can trust the security of these cameras.
So so good!
Dear thank you so much for making such a Wonderful video
That’s my kind of system! I’m in for 2024! I think my list often substitutes for getting things done!!!
I love that you don’t make a big ‘to do’ over your ‘to do’ list 😂❤
I have to make a three task ‘to do ‘list otherwise I’m already “failing”. I have 4 young kids I take care of all day and a nursing baby! One thing is enough sometimes!!
Omgosh this is me ✍️ 📝 Doing it wrong 🤔 since 6th grade 😮🙁 I think I always needed the list was idealistic incredibly detailed just as you say & yep I would lose it and spend a lot of time looking for it. Crazy All the things that should be done 😮. Now I have to detox from making a list which has not been working all these years. Thank you thank you thank you. I just love you Dana. God is using you in such an amazing way in helping so many of us.
I like the habits idea. I don’t do list. I know what I need to do daily.
Love this! 💙
I always love the funny credits at the end. 😅
@Dana I love your hair!
I will say that having a standing visual list where I check off the day I did it helps me a lot. It is separate from my to-do list and its mostly a tracking system to help me recognize a pattern and help me feel accomplished when my brain otherwise feels no "reward" from the task. Im also Autistic and ADHD, so that "credit" probably is a big contributing factor for why I need this. I do not write down the reoccurring chores down on a regular to-do list.
When I had to be "perfect" I made lists of what I had accomplished each day. It's bass-ackwards to what anyone else does but it worked for me 😂.
so helpful thank you