Another Miracle, Thanks to Flylady and GTD

Posted on November 10, 2007 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity

Originally published on 5 September 2006.

Four years ago I never would have been able to do what I did yesterday. We hosted a part of about 25 people for a cookout at our house.

Thanks to GTD, I knew what was on my plate for this weekend, and I knew that I could make this Someday/Maybe into a current project. I planned the event like any GTD project, going step by step to make sure I had everything covered. I have a Handyshopper checklist that covers party planning and takes me through everything from guests to food shopping to preparation.

At that point, Flylady took over. I knew that the house was clean, so there was no crisis cleaning to be done. The food was planned and ready. So yesterday afternoon, two hours before the guests were due to arrive, I laid down for a nap. One hour before the guests were due, I was playing Sudoku on my PDA. And when the guests arrived, I was able to greet them and participate in the party, rather than frantically finishing up last-minute preparations in the kitchen.

When the bigger children were looking for something to do, I was able to put my hands on games they could play. When a guest needed a private room to nurse her baby, I was able to direct her to the guest room and know that it was clean. When my husband’s childhood friend, who has never seen the house, requested a tour, I was able to do so without having to avoid any part in my home. It was all viewable.

When everyone left, cleanup was a breeze. The dishwasher was empty, and the counters were systematically cleaned. Dishes that needed to be hand washed were done, so I will have nothing nasty waiting for me this morning. I swept the floor, did a quick mopping, and I know that I’m set for the week. And I made it to bed by 9 pm, to take care of the head cold I contracted this past weekend.

It was a great party. I think everyone had a good time. I know I did. I was relaxed and able to enjoy having these interesting people over.