A 3 Item "To Do" List

I've posted before about my "To Do" Lists. Now that we have a new baby in our house, my "To Do" list has needed some adjusting.

Currently I'm operating on the "3 Item To Do List" method (inspired by Simple Mom, of course). Before I go to bed (usually while I'm nursing the previously mentioned sweet baby) I think about the 3 most important things I need to do the next day. 3 things a day is a realistic expectation for myself, with my 3 young children. This week my list included things like: laundry, call about adding the baby to health insurance, do a Nurture Mama blog post, finish the Primary newsletter, get groceries, return library books, etc.

I write down my 3 items and then do my best to focus on those tasks first whenever I have a spare moment throughout the day. I've been keeping my list in a prominent place on my fridge so it's easy to see what I should be working on.

Some days I don't quite make it through all 3 items. On those days, rather than becoming discouraged, I stop and reflect and remind myself that in reality I did a lot more than 3 things: I did cook dinner for my family, and I did do the dishes, and I did spend 2 hours at the park with my children, and I did read my scriptures, and I did nurse my baby x number of times and change x number of diapers, and I did tell my family that I love them. That's really what's most important, isn't it?

If you need some ideas for organizing yourself and your time a little better, be sure to check out the Home Management Notebook series on Simple Mom. Tsh has fabulous ideas and resources available to help you be more organized and more effective in your home.