How to Choose What To Do First

How to Choose What To Do First

Beginning Life’s Battles, c. 1909 by A Roesfler (artist).
Eve Pryor Collection of Comic Postcards, La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. I have so much to do that I’m not sure what to do first. Or second. Or last for that matter.

I’ve been sick, DB’s been sick and pretty girl’s been sick. She was so sick she slept through the last episode of Game of Thrones! (Actually, I dosed off too).

There were deadlines, research and frantic bouts of writing, editing, image choosing/altering/reviewing. Plus trying to work out WooCommerce so I can set up a shop.

And yesterday I took a trip into town to the magical depository of wonderfulness, (aka the State Library of Victoria) for some research. I LOVE that the things I do for a living can be as much fun as looking at 160 year old books, and hand written manuscripts.

But today, I’ve got a week’s worth of chores to catch up on:

  • swapping out the sheets and towels
  • cleaning two toilets (I mentioned we’ve been ill right?)
  • six loads of washing
  • three loads of dishes
  • a bunch of tidying up, vacuuming, cleaning and disinfecting

Plus I have some work deadlines due in the next few days:

  • an Insider Update
  • a couple of blog posts
  • a press release
  • a short story
  • some editing

All of these things lead directly to my vision of the future. Though in light of recent reading and events I think my vision, mission and virtues need looking at again.

So how do I stop stressing about what to do first ?

What To Do First

For this, I’m, taking advice from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who suggests setting up a structure to support your daily work when everything seems important.

Also known as priorities.

And because our situations are similar, and I hope my marriage and writing career are as long and successful as hers, our priorities are the same:

  1. Family (husband and pets). Partly becuase we love them and want to support them, and partly because there will be times where we have to allow them to support us.
  2. Health. While the airlines tell you to put your own gas mark on first, we both find it incredibly easy to use our health as an excuse to avoid getting anything done. And besides that, how can you adequately manage your time and energy if you don’t know what your limits are?
  3. Writing. Because if you don’t do the writing “first,” it doesn’t get done. And how am I going to pay for my five star aged care if I don’t have longtail income from happy decades of writing and publishing books and stories. And thinking positively, licensing deals for tv and movies, merchandising, games, etc.
  4. Business. That would be the planning, marketing, finance, monitoring and control of the other stuff.

So when you look at what needs to be done through your priorities, it’s a lot easier to know where to start (stacking and running the dishwasher, and throwing a load of clothes in the clothes washer).

And even better, some of it (like the washing) can be done at the same time as other of it (like writing this blog post).

Maybe there will be enough time for the vacuuming!

But I’ll definitely put a band-aid on yesterday’s archive box cut.

Wrap Up

The washing machines have stopped, so it’s time to empty them and set up for the next load.

And come back to the next task on my business list.

So while I’m off doing that, why don’t you think about what your daily priorities are, and how they get you towards your vision of a life worth living?

Feel free to let me know.

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