A little homework might help you reach your objectives
Most of us joyfully said goodbye to homework when we left school. I certainly was glad to see it go, especially the busy-work stuff that didn’t serve any point except to waste a lot of time.
Recently, I’ve had a change of heart, at least when it comes to self-imposed homework. I’ve had some success with giving myself homework assignments related to my uncluttering and organizing projects. When I structure the homework more like a lesson plan than a to-do list, I can better remember why I’m doing work and stay focused on the end goal.
What I do:
- Identify the unit objective. What is a unit objective? In this case, it’s going to be the reasons you want to unclutter and/or organize. Your objective might be that you want to have friends come over unannounced and not have to worry that your place is a mess. Your objective might be that you don’t want to injure yourself constantly tripping over your child’s toys. Your objective might be that you want to downsize to a smaller home to reduce your mortgage and other expenses.
- Identify your deadline. Do you have a solid goal by when the work needs to be completed? If you don’t have a set deadline, can you create an artificial one to help motivate you?
- Identify current status. Where are you right now? This is a good time to photograph the room, desk, closet or area you wish to unclutter and/or organize to record your starting point.
- Identify action items. Analyze your current status and determine all the work that needs to be completed for you to successfully meet your unit objective. Be specific with these actions. “Organize shelf” is not specific enough. Use language that expresses exactly what you plan to do — “Pull all items off shelf, sort items into three piles (keep, purge, other), etc.”
- Create your timeline. Using your deadline as a guide, distribute action items onto your calendar. Do this in pencil or electronically, so you can easily move items if necessary. Always leave a few nights before the deadline open in case you fall behind schedule. If you stay on schedule, you’ll be rewarded by finishing the unit early.
- Do your homework. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. Do the homework you’ve set for yourself for each night, and don’t make any excuses. You’re working toward a goal you desire and you want to reach.
- Assess your progress. Decide if you want to review your work daily, weekly, or only at the end of the unit. Personally, I like to give myself daily grades (my system is simple: A is 4 points=did the work; F is 0 points=didn’t do the work). At the end of the week I’ll see how many points I’ve earned and keep a tally (20 points is an ideal week, only working Monday-Friday).
I’ve started to think of my on-going house routines in this way, too. My objective is to keep the house running smoothly so I think less about chores and the state of the house, and more time on doing fun stuff with my family. To meet this objective, there are certain tasks I must do every day (homework) for this to happen. The chores are spread out over a week, and each day I can easily assess my performance — did the homework, or didn’t.
The reason I believe this method works for me is it keeps me focused on the objectives and it’s easy to see how the work I’m doing is directly related to those objectives. Chores and uncluttering and organizing tasks seem less like busy-work and more as steps to something I really desire in my life.
Could you use a little homework in your life? Share your reactions and methods you employ in the comments.
9 comments posted
Posted by chacha1 - 02/13/2012
I’m very results-oriented so I’ve used something like this system for a long time. My to-do list for a given week always has “homework” on it – stuff that I want to get done after work so it’s out of the way on the weekend. I like to have my decks cleared for substantive projects on the weekend.
Especially if “substantive” means something tedious like “data entry for tax prep.” That’s a case where, if there is ANYTHING untidy or undone, I will find an excuse to address it before the scheduled task.
Posted by Marrena - 02/13/2012
I have to do this sort of thing the reverse way. You are gifted when it comes to energy and motivation for being organized and doing things you set out to do. I was in awe of your monthly resolutions last year. I have a very scant supply of that resolution energy.
With the assistance of your blog over the last year or so, I’ve taken the opposite approach. As much as possible I try to develop habits. If a task has become completely habitual for me, it takes no thought, little effort and most importantly, no willpower. For example, two small habits I have successfully developed are taking my vitamins and supplements to improve my health and opening and closing my insulated curtains every day to save energy and be more green. I do both without thinking, like a zombie. It is my goal to perfect my zombie nature!
In developing these zombie habits, I find that I can work on only one goal at a time. For some reason I can work on multiple habits at once, but they can only be for one goal. So for right now my overarching goal is to improve my skin. I have horrible skin. So I’m taking castor oil baths (which are a pain because I have to really SCRUB the bathtub after each bath) and go to the gym frequently for tanning and sauna (and yes I know tanning is bad–BOO!). I’m also being diligent with using emu oil products on my skin for healing, especially on my feet. All three things are ongoing time commitments, but they are quickly turning into habits. Especially going to the gym three times a week is a big outlay of time and willpower, but I find it is easy to stay motivated by focusing hard on one goal, almost like a mantra–perfect skin, perfect skin. Seeing rapid progress also helps to motivate and cement the habit into place.
The rational thing would also be to try to work on other goals at the same time. Weight loss, for example. I’m already going to the gym, why not work out when I’m there? But I know that will sap my willpower reserve too fast. Once going to the gym for my skin has become a habit and I don’t need thought or willpower to do it, then I will be able to start focusing on weight loss instead of my skin. And I can’t set deadlines. My deadline is basically when I’ve been able to do the thing I want to do for a month, consistently, without thought or effort, I’m ready to move on to the next goal.
Also it helps to be realistic about time constraints. In setting up my future habits, I have to take a hard look on just how much free time I have each day and how much down time I need to regenerate.
Posted by WilliamB - 02/13/2012
@Marrena – it sounds like you have a good handle on what works for you and what doesn’t. I agree with you about zombie habits, they’re great aren’t they?
One of my goals for an organized house and routines is time-shifting. I want to shift the time needed for a task to when I have plenty of time to do it. So I put away my gloves every night (when I have plenty of time) so I don’t have to go hunting for them in the morning (when time is precious).
Another goal is to know what I have so I can use it. Doesn’t help me to have extra rolls of toilet paper if I’ve forgotten about them. Or if I know I have them but can’t find them.
A third goal is to make time for what I really want to do. “What I really want to do” should be assessed on a long-term scale. (Maybe what I most feel like doing right now is vegging on the sofa reading Grammar Nazi. But if in the long term what I really want to be doing is reading more non-fiction, then I should swap my laptop for my book.)
Posted by Pat Armour - 02/13/2012
That was a very interesting way of getting to the point of ridding your home of clutter. I highlighted your steps and printed them out for myself and a particular daughter.
It’s unusual to have to have such a routine thought through like that so I am quite impressed. As I mentioned the daughter, her room has empty shelves and drawers and a floor not visible to the eye. Just from trying on clothes. Maybe I should get my 17 year old a babysitter…lol.
She will have her own copy taped to her door. Thanks, Pat
Posted by Bobbin - 02/13/2012
“I certainly was glad to see it go, especially the busy-work stuff that didn’t serve any point except to waste a lot of time.”
I think most teachers would agree with me that we don’t give homework just to waste time. Kids might not see it that way, but I hope adults – especially parents – can recognize the value of reinforcing lessons.
Posted by Erin Doland - 02/13/2012
@Bobbin — As a former teacher, I can attest VERY well that there are teachers who give busy work. I would get so annoyed at my colleagues for going through the motions and not teaching their students. The worst offenders wouldn’t even grade the stuff … simply put a check mark on it to acknowledge completion. Mostly it was the teachers who had tenure and hadn’t changed a thing in their curriculum in ages. They were just riding out until retirement. One guy I taught with gave a test over information he had forgotten to give to his class. School couldn’t fire him, department chair couldn’t replace him with a teacher who cared. I’m not saying all teachers are like this — I certainly wasn’t — but busy work is prevalent in schools. I still laugh at the music teacher who made us fill out “practice sheets” for choir. We couldn’t even take our sheet music home, how were we supposed to practice?!
Posted by Jeannette - 02/14/2012
Erin writes:
“My objective is to keep the house running smoothly so I think less about chores and the state of the house, and more time on doing fun stuff with my family. To meet this objective, there are certain tasks I must do every day (homework) for this to happen. The chores are spread out over a week, and each day I can easily assess my performance — did the homework, or didn’t.”
Erin, this is a brilliant summation of how to view literal “home” work as it were.
Over the years, I’ve learned to rethink and expand my objective (clean, functional living space) so that I focus on what is really important. Sometimes, that is making more time for family, friends and loved ones as in just having them over without the need for an “event.” Or to make time for myself to join them and hang out.
If we look closely, many of us were raised by “Martha Stewart”-type moms for whom a perfect home was the end all and be all (we’re not even going to touch the psychological ramifications of that need!). My mother was a perfectionist in ways healthy and unhealthy and it took me a long time to let go of some of her compulsive behavior. This is not to judge her or others but to say that we must be aware of how we choose to spend our time and most important, be aware of how what we do or don’t reflects our most important objectives.
A clean, pleasant, functioning space (AKA home) will always be important, but as I’ve aged, I realize that a clean home is lovely but not as important as doing certain things and being with the people I care about.
I’m presently in a huge decluttering because of the realization that I need the time/energy I’ve been devoting to household maintenance and other things is not reflecting where I want to spend my energy. And to, literally, make more room for entertaining which has been put on hold for the most part due to space and time constraints.
As a friend said, it’s all about creating space/time/energy for your life and what matters, your friends and family.
This is how I determine what really matters in what I do each day. So, yes, my home is not always spotless, but it is welcoming.
The steps you laid out here have been basically how I set goals for each week. You’ve done an incredible job of articulating this for those who may not have looked at it from this perspective. Thank you.
Posted by Ashley S.C. Walls - 02/15/2012
I totally agree with your closing statement about doing your homework so that you can THINK less about it. It is so important to handle task, make lists, and create plans so that you are not consumed with thoughts and anxiety that hinder your progress.
Posted by Leslie - 03/13/2012
Great post as usual, Erin. I pretty much have to have lists in order to get anything done, and this kind of planning works very well for me. (I have a similar system at work, but have yet to implement it at home).
@Jeannette – I so very much agree with you about the need to have a clean, functional living space, but keep it in perspective and not let it get to the point of having the perfect house be the focus, rather than a space that helps you focus on the things that matter.
It irritates me to no end when I make a comment about how I should be cleaning the house instead of [fill in the blank] and someone comes back with “oh, but this is so much more IMPORTANT than having a clean house”. Of course, the people who make these comments have never SEEN my house. I am a borderline hoarder – the state of my house saps my creative energy, prevents me from doing things I want because I can’t find anything, and generally hinders me in the quest to have my remarkable life. Fortunately, my therapist agrees with me that one of my priorities needs to be having a “clean, functional living space” as you so aptly put it, so I am working on that. Progress is somewhat hindered at this point by working a full time job while going to graduate school (significant progress was made over Christmas break), but that will be over in May (hallelujah!).
Best of luck to everyone in your uncluttering efforts and achieving your own remarkable lives!
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