It's Not a Project

             By trade, I am a certified project manager. My work involves detailed plans with tasks, milestones, dates, timelines, budgets, contracts, and we talk about things like scope, resources, assumptions, and risks. That’s my day-job. In my personal life, I’ve learned not everything has to be a project. As a Caregiver, there are so many details and things that have to get done. If we made a project out of all of it, we would never get anything done. There’s something to be said for “just do it.”

                Admittedly, I kept long lists of things-to-do because frankly, I was so stressed out of my mind, I couldn’t remember anything. A number of times, I found myself walking into the kitchen to get something and standing there completely confused not recalling what I needed. By the time I walked back to the living room, I would remember and go get it. I am not ashamed to tell you that this cycle would sometimes repeat, and I would find myself walking back and forth, forgetting a few times. My doctor told me I was like a computer overloaded with so much data, that I was having performance issues and error-ing out, in need of a reboot. I had to write things down.

                Now, things are easier, and I don’t have as much on my plate. I still don’t procrastinate though, which is something I learned, because Caregivers do not have the luxury to put off anything. When something has to get done, we have to deal with it and move onto the next, because there is always something else that arises.

                I notice that some people seem to make a project out of things that really should not be a project. Their things-to-do-lists are long and filled with shopping, what to buy, what to return, what to cook and eat that evening, and on and on. I have some friends that tell me in detail about their trips to the drug store, the grocery store, their coupons, special deals, and so forth. On top of it, they agonize over details and research decisions that really, I am not sure need to be so complex. Not every decision requires a Google search.

                This isn’t about judging how people organize themselves, but rather, it’s a point about simplifying your life. If you have to go shopping and a list helps you, great- make one. Stick to purchases you need so you aren’t running around returning after the fact (not to mention dealing with clutter at home that you have to find room and later organize). You don’t have to research every purchase, particularly small ticket items or day-to-day consumables or find that bargain that saves you a few cents but requires driving across town, taking time to find that special store, not to mention costs you gas money. I often hear about people wasting time playing online and I find myself wondering about how much time we are all spending on stuff that should be simple and just not that big a deal. Not everything has to be a project, so don’t make it one.