visual priority list

dis·or·gan·ized/disˈôrgəˌnīzd/

adjective:

not properly planned and controlled. (of a person) unable to plan one's activities efficiently.

zach says that i have a visual priority list, by which he means that i have little or no ability to prioritize tasks.  instead, i do things as i see them, and the order in which my eyes encounter them generally dictates the order in which i attend to them.  i might be deeply engrossed in one activity and then another will catch my eye.  when this happens, i'm prone to disengage from my initial task and take on the one I've only just realized is infinitely more important and, even more worrisome, incredibly time-sensitive.  generally, attempts to get out the door look something like this:

zach: "sells, let's go."

[i look up, notice that the catchall by the door, which is only intended for keys, phones and sunglasses, is overflowing with scraps of paper from my dear husband's pockets, and finish the dish I'm currently scrubbing before abandoning any other dishes to the depths of the sink and hurrying over to "clean out the catchall really quickly - no, seriously, really quickly" before leaving the loft.]

the state of affairs when i elected to organize the loft pre-baby

i might run into four "pressing" tasks while completing an initial task - and not take the dog outside until all five are finished.  macy's ears don't perk up when I say "walk" because she knows the gratification will be delayed; when the word slips out of zach's lips, her tail is wagging and she's ready to go! 

i should add that this isn't merely a home-based dilemma; i struggle mightily in my classroom, too.  i'm currently trying to create a schedule by which to accomplish essential weekly tasks so i don't stay at school until 6 pm in a frenzied state of trying to grade papers, make copies, wipe down tables and corral books into their correct bins.  one main task per day is my goal; i've heard from organized teacher-friends that they have one main task per afternoon and complete any small tasks after finishing their daily goal. i do not, however, return to school for about seven weeks - who wants to put money on this "to do" going to the bottom of my list until ooooo, six weeks from now?

obviously, my little habit [read: constant state of disorganization] is counterproductive.  i am trying - desperately, desperately trying! - to force myself to prioritize tasks and activities and deviate from my list only in the face of an absolutely necessary task.  to this end, i'm using the heck out of the alarm and calendar apps on my iPhone.  while these apps keep me on task, i'm still a fan of the handwritten list, on which you can cross out activities as you finish them.  a friend once told me that more optimistic people check off items on their to-do lists, rather than strike through them, but i find it infinitely more satisfying to draw a line through a task i've completed. disclosure: sometimes, i do something and then write it on the list and cross it out (cheater!).  another consequence of a visual priority list, and a personally-justified deviation from that list...

right now, to-do lists are working pretty well for me, although they haven't necessarily helped me to prioritize my days' activities.  rather, I scramble to finish everything, heedless of the efficiency of the order in which i complete things. i kind of love this to-do pad, although i'm sure it seems excessive for the non-organizationally challenged. also, an index card will get you just as far... what helps you stay on-task?  are you generally regimented?  teach me your organized ways!