The 5 Things Method; getting Stuff Under Control
So, I am deeply disorganized person. I have ADD and executive dysfunction; I get bored incredibly quickly with the mundane and will invent lots of complicated reasons why I can’t or needn’t do something.
This becomes a problem when you’re 3 years behind on your tax returns, for example *ahem* (looks shifty).
So a while back, I instigated what I call the 5 Things Method. It might not work for you. Mileage may vary. The Things you can do will vary depending on your amount of spoons/amount of available time. But this is how I do it.
1. Get a pad of sticky notes. The regular 3-inch square ones work for me.
2. On one note, write down 5 things you need to do. They need to be SMALL tasks which you can complete in NO MORE THAN 15 minutes each. If it’s a big thing like “do my taxes” break it down into small tasks. Here’s mine for tomorrow…
(photo of a post-it note with list of 5 items on it: Pay car insurance, Clean shower, Finish reading book, Write book review, Drop forms off to Liz)
3. Choose the quickest thing to do. The one that’ll only take a couple minutes. Do that one as soon as you possibly can and cross it off. You’ll get a nice little buzz of satisfaction. Do a little victory dance!
4. Choose the most URGENT thing. The one that really HAS to get done ASAP. (In the example above, it’s the car insurance. It’s due in 2 days.) Do that one and cross it off. The relief you’ll feel will be HUGE.
5. While you’re on a high, pick one of the three remaining things and do it. Cross it off, and look at that! You’re more than half done!
(gif: couple jumping on a bed, spraying champagne)
6. If you are out of spoons/time/energy, that’s OK. You got more than half done. Today was a BIG win (especially if you’re just starting at this).
7. If you CAN do the 2 remaining things, go ahead and do them, or at least one of them, and give yourself all the pats on the back. You did really, really well.
8. If you’ve got energy or inclination for one or two more little things? Well. You’re literally a legend. YOU GO, YOU WONDROUS HUMAN!
9. Get a fresh post-it note and write tomorrow’s 5 things. If you have anything left from today, you must carry them forward, but your total is still only 5 things.
… and here’s the kicker.
10. You MUST do those things you carried forward from yesterday FIRST. What this means is nothing gets to hang around long enough to become a monkey on your back. It’s done, no more than 48 hours after you put it on that list. Isn’t that a HUGE relief?
I personally throw out my ‘finished’ post-it notes when I’m done with them, but you could, idk, stick them on a spike on your desk or something? So you can look at the growing pile with satisfaction? I like the satisfaction of throwing them out because they’re DONE, but this is a personal choice thing. You might like to write them in a planner for permanent record, but, uh, if you’re the kind of organized person who keeps a planner, you might not need this method.
How you use this is up to you. At least in the beginning, I recommend giving yourself at least a couple of ‘easy wins’ every day. Stuff you were gonna do anyway, but now you get to triumphantly cross it off. Try to always prep the ‘tomorrow’ note before you go to bed and put it where you’ll see it first thing in the morning.
If you miss a day, or a week, or a month? Not the end of the world. Start a fresh note and get going again. Get that to-do list, not just under control, but OBLITERATED. You can do it! I believe in you!
(gif: two drink glasses clinking together in a toast)
