Comments on Cranky Fitness: Always have a plan

planning is something....execution is everything.....

2008-09-03T03:32:00.000-04:00

planning is something....execution is everything...

It's not so difficult to follow a to do list if we check the list every two hours to track progress.

I have lists scattered all over the house, all ove...

2008-09-02T23:09:00.000-04:00

I have lists scattered all over the house, all over my computer, all over GoogleDocs, and all over wherever the hell I can lose them.

I am a list freak. Unfortunately, I rarely complete any of them.

Thanks for letting me off the hook. :)

On fall, I am ready for fall foods. But not the end of summer.

I'm glad to be back at work, but I miss hanging ou...

2008-09-02T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm glad to be back at work, but I miss hanging out at home and watching Ellen in my pajama pants.

Wearing pajama pants to work is much frowned upon.

Karen

I read that post at PTB and commented, but my comm...

2008-09-02T21:06:00.000-04:00

I read that post at PTB and commented, but my comment was lost and I had too many things to do to retype it ;-)

I used to spend a fortune on planners and then have to kludge them up to fit the way my brain worked -- then I found Planner Pad. I almost didn't bother because the website was not, er, polished. But, I tell you, it's the best system I've ever used. And I do this for a living. (And this is not spam -- no affiliate link, just a passionate believer!) The trick is to make it work for you, not to work for it. And this one makes it easy and flexible to do so.

Yes, I had quite a long to-do list for this past w...

2008-09-02T16:47:00.000-04:00

Yes, I had quite a long to-do list for this past weekend. But my cat ate it. Good kitty!!!

I used to be really good at keeping up with all th...

2008-09-02T15:43:00.000-04:00

I used to be really good at keeping up with all the stuff in my head. These days, maybe age, maybe 4 little ones.....I have to make a list. I try to accomplish it, but most of the time, I save a little for later. Everything in moderation ;)

I just don't want a To Do list that rules my time:...

2008-09-02T15:16:00.000-04:00

I just don't want a To Do list that rules my time: "I can't go play with the dog right now; I have to mow the lawn." A list that has some holes in it for spontaneous moments of joy might work.

If I get through my daily exercise, I consider my ...

2008-09-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

If I get through my daily exercise, I consider my plan a success. And I only keep enough plans in my head that I don't have to write down which is about the equivalent of two plans per day.
Exercise and _______.

uch, my first instinct is to cry and whine about w...

2008-09-02T14:10:00.000-04:00

uch, my first instinct is to cry and whine about where, oh where, my summer has gone. I spent so much of it rehabbing my neck that I feel like every day was spent in PT or doing exercises to strengthen/stretch. But if I step back, I can see that I accomplished A LOT, including throwing a ridiculous number of baby and bridal showers, travelling all over, seeing friends close and far, getting some nice assignments written and fixing my broken sleep. I'm not ready to see summer go, but I am ready to revise my previous belief that it all went by in a blink. It actually lasted pretty long :-)

looks furtively around, whispers quietlyI love p...

2008-09-02T13:55:00.000-04:00

*looks furtively around, whispers quietly*
I love plans. I especially love schedules, which are to-do lists with the times blocked out, too. I'm a little complusive about it.

BUT!

The reason I like them so much is because it takes away the "I don't wanna" factor for me. If I know my day starts at 7:00, I just get up and go at 7:00. I might whine and complain to myself, but I do it anyway. I am also careful to schedule time OFF. That goes into my plan, the same as the chores.

The really nice thing about a schedule is that I get all my housecleaning done during the week, and my errands run on Saturday. That leaves me all of Sunday to actually have a day OFF (which I scheduled for), instead of running around to do stuff I didn't get to the day before.

Sunday is now my favorite day of the week: I laze around, read the paper, see a movie, read on the couch, whatever. Guilt-free! Woo!

*whispers again* All because of planning and scheduling.

i go through phases where i am all about the to do...

2008-09-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

i go through phases where i am all about the to do list ... and then times where i'm like, "i think i have something to do today ... eh, it'll come to me later."

ideally, i'd have my to do list and stick to it all the time. ideally.

I have a love hate relationship with to do lists. ...

2008-09-02T12:46:00.000-04:00

I have a love hate relationship with to do lists. I love the fact that once it's on paper, I can stop trying to hold it on in my head, but I also hate the fact that I always SOMETHING on said list that remains undone, for virtually ever. It's there, staring at me. Grrr!

I am a to-do list junkie. Not that I always get t...

2008-09-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

I am a to-do list junkie. Not that I always get through my lists, but without them, I would spend all my time playing computer solitaire.

I love lists too...i would be found wandering the ...

2008-09-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

I love lists too...i would be found wandering the streets walking in circles within a day if I was unable to list out my day, my week, my weekend, etc. However, I usually don't get to cross everything off.

Love you hurricane map!!

I've got to fix my roof before it snows...Other th...

2008-09-02T10:54:00.000-04:00

I've got to fix my roof before it snows...
Other than that, I think it's all relative. After painting the living room I really am not sure when I'll feel like doing anything, but there's still a list. :)

I love making lists, but like you, have problems c...

2008-09-02T10:16:00.000-04:00

I love making lists, but like you, have problems crossing things off them. And really, I work so dang hard during the week that if I want to drink coffee and lay around all Saturday so be it! :)

Is that whole white shoes after labor day thing st...

2008-09-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

Is that whole white shoes after labor day thing still followed? I thought that fell by the wayside a while ago.

I don't make lists, but I do have things I want to get done. Doesn't always happen - the cooking does, the tv watching does, the gym does (if I'm teaching) and doesn't (if I just tell myself I'm going to go work out on my own. I haven't cleaned in weeks and weeks. Blech.

September isn't any different for me than August, since I don't have kids, but I'm not looking forward to winter. Really not.

I don't write To Do Lists (unless you count my rea...

2008-09-02T09:53:00.000-04:00

I don't write To Do Lists (unless you count my really long 101 Goals in 1001 Days list). I write To Do emails.

During the day I frequently remember things that I should have done yesterday or am going to have to do later, and if I don't write an email to myself I will obliviate during the evening and forget all about it until I'm at work the next day and remember it again.

Email is the only list I check on a regular basis, and I am my own best correspondent. The Millennial version of talking to yourself, I guess.

My short term memory is a cruel mistress so I must...

2008-09-02T09:43:00.000-04:00

My short term memory is a cruel mistress so I must write things down, which works if I remember where I put that list.

My to-do list is usually by the week rather than the day, I just write down things I would like to accomplish this week, figure out what the biggest priority is and start there. Keeps me from feeling to anxious about all the stuff I have to do.

There sure are a lot of sayings about "plans!"How ...

2008-09-02T09:19:00.000-04:00

There sure are a lot of sayings about "plans!"

How many plans went undone while the people who thought of these sayings were thinking rather than doing, do you suppose?

I'm with Charlotte, I do the goals and lists thing...

2008-09-02T09:13:00.000-04:00

I'm with Charlotte, I do the goals and lists things. Except when the universe messes them up, I tend to ignore the universe and carry on like nothing happened.

It must've worked, because I got two job offers (personal training).

I'm such a planner! Lists - love 'em. Goals - go...

2008-09-02T09:07:00.000-04:00

I'm such a planner! Lists - love 'em. Goals - got 'em. Now, could someone please tell the universe to go along with my carefully constructed plans?? Because somehow it never seems to work out how I think it will...

I'm so ambitious when it comes to following a plan...

2008-09-02T08:37:00.000-04:00

I'm so ambitious when it comes to following a plan, but then I start to slack off and then I just stop following the plan, any plan.

One thing at a time.

I often make a to do list for the day. It reminds ...

2008-09-02T08:07:00.000-04:00

I often make a to do list for the day. It reminds of what I need to get done or should be doing and I feel a great sense of accomplishment whenever I cross something off because it's done.
When I don't make a list I hardly get anything done.
Also, I forget what I've done so I think I've done nothing.

I don't want to commit to any schedule that's bind...

2008-09-02T08:01:00.000-04:00

I don't want to commit to any schedule that's binding unless I have Enrique (or whoever) around to help do the actual work. I don't mind getting whelmed, but I draw the line at overwhelmed.
Then again, maybe I just make my To Do lists waaaaay too long to begin with?