Monday 31 December 2012

A Working Mother's New Year Resolutions

So I've avoided making New Year resolutions for the past few years. I mean, don't they always just lead to feelings of guilt and self loathing come about April?

This year however, there are a few things I need to do to get my house in order. I'm working on a book which will (hopefully) come out around April - she says, as vaguely as she can. Not only do I have to get myself organised on a work level, but the domestic front needs a bit of a tune-up too. When you work from home, there's a lot of overlap and when one's a shambles, the other tends to suffer too.

So, without further ado, I announce my 2013 resolutions:

- do something with my e-mails as they come in. Put them into the relevant folder - and pay attention when I do so that they don't end up in the adjacent folder, never to be found again.

- delete anything that doesn't interest me or has somehow managed to sneak through the crap filter

- check my junk folder every so often for missing or important e-mails

- for every writing project or writing web site that I'm involved with, have a separate large notebook. Do not use this notebook for shopping lists, phone call notes, or anything other than the subject written on the front.

- when hit with a brilliant idea, do not tear off a piece of paper or grab the nearest envelope. Find the designated notebook (see above) and write it in there. Also, write on the lines; do not write diagonally or in the margin.

- keep these notebooks in one spot. I do not want to find one next to the breadbin, another on top of the TV and a third in the bathroom.

- schedule time for everything; that includes housework, working out, and tweeting. This might sound a bit Type A but it will a) stop all the faffing around on social media, b) make sure everything gets done, and c) make me feel as if everything got done.

There.

I think that's enough for someone who doesn't really "do" resolutions.

Oh - and Happy New Year to everyone. Here's to -


13 comments:

  1. Wow! Fairly ambitious; good luck to you ;)

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  2. Wow, you will never acheive these resolutions. Notebook will be stolen by the children, your scheduled time on twitter will seriously overrun and email folders are the online equivalent of the 'safe place' you put stuff never to find it again. :-)

    Happy New Year.

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  3. I think I might borrow some of these. I don't get enough emails to warrant separate folders but the notebook idea is a good one and scheduling time instead of faffing is definitely a winner.

    Happy New Year to you all from all of us xxx

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  4. I usually don't "do" resolutions either - mainly because I make a list pretty much like yours (ok, just like yours - it sounds exactly like a list I would make) and then it all falls apart pretty quickly. I expect though, that you will make it work to perfection.

    Happy New Year!

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  5. They all sound like great ideas Toni. All the best with keeping these resolutions and with 2013 in general.

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  6. Lots of digital resolutions! I'm now pretty good at sorting through my emails, I can't stand having a full maibox. I don't keep as much as I used to as well, I clean my files and emails often to avoid having too much junk.

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  7. I really hope you can fulfil all these resolutions!! Seems a lot!
    I don't think I'll make rash decisions to lose weight ..... but when all the seasonal food has been used up, I might cut down a bit. Pity to waste it.
    I will continue to write in my journal no matter how I'm feeling or how uninteresting it may seem. ..... and I will try and post at least one entry a week on my blog.
    Happy New Year.
    Maggie s

    Nuts in May

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  8. Yes, Maggie - the weight loss target is just a given at this point. 2013 - time to get skinny!

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  10. Thank you for those resolutions, I couldn't have said it better myself. Have a wonderful new year and good luck with the resolutions! X

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  11. These are all very good - I'm a huge fan of scheduling time. I even use my kitchen timer (or online stopwatch) to keep myself on task. Otherwise, I tend to get sidetracked and find myself hours behind!

    Happy New Year!

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  12. I went "April" in astonished tones as normally all good resolutions have bitten the dust by end of Jan in our household. My biggest work related resolution is to follow you on the notebook concept - but I am going to have to stick with one notebook as I can guarantee separate ones will offer multiple timewasting opportunities hunting for them. I also find it quite amusing reading back through the year of to do lists, shopping lists all mixed in with snatches of dialogue and ideas. Other biggie is to back up work/email it to myself religiously at least every couple of days - spot the woman who knocked laptop to the floor - and hadn't backed up.

    Happy and productive 2013
    Cx

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  13. Nice resolutions. Only one for me this year : write another book. Yes I know, it is a big one. That's why one is enough.
    I like your resolutions to be more organized. I like organization maybe too much sometimes ... your post made me think of this: maybe a bit of chaos is sometimes useful to creativity. What do you think?

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