How to figure out priority for tasks, from Terry Matlin's book, Survival Tips for Women with ADHD

I learned of a new way to figure out priority for tasks.


You need a table with three skinny columns, and a wide column. I just drew lines on the page in my 3 by 5 notebook.


Then label the columns as value, urgency, priority, and the wide one is the task list.
Value is how important is the task, gets a number between 1, most important, & 4, less important. Urgency is how soon does the task need to happen, use same 1-4 scale, with 1, soonest, and 4, last.


To get priority, multiply the value number by the urgency number. This will result in a number between 1 & 16.


The instructions I saw for this process said to rewrite the list by ordering all the ones together, then the twos, and so on. I am too stingy with paper and refuse to do that when I can just look down the list at the priority column to see if there's any more ones etc.
My list had 8 ones, one two, two fours, one six, and an eight. I still have four ones, two of which are appointments so will happen at specific times, one of the fours, and the six. Five items done and I feel good about it. And, like I'm getting the important things done first, rather than haphazardly tackling things and not getting any of them done.


Yay for working smarter not harder!

Junk food Prohibition for the poor only? Good or bad?

"Two lawmakers in Augusta want to curb the junk going into Mainer's mouths through legislation."

That is a misstatement. They do not want to limit the junk food going into Mainers' mouths, but poor Mainers' mouths, and not just poor Mainers' mouths, but poor Mainers on food stamps. Since when did Prohibition comeback? I never noticed that we had made sugar illegal. If they are going to limit food selection for the poor folks on food stamps, then Maine should make all such foods illegal for all Mainers to make the impetus behind the bills apply to all Mainers equally. Prohibit all so called "junk food" for all Mainers, or for none. And, if your going to do it for Mainers, then it needs to apply for all Americans, or none. So, do we really want to try to convince the entire country to Prohibit junk food? The war on drugs and alcohol have shown that making such items illegal only makes them more desirable and easier to get. Prohibition did not stop alcohol consumption. The war on drugs has not stopped drug consumption. Big government is wrong on this thought. Going through educational programs that show the benefits of avoiding the supposedly undesired substance is a possibly good way to bring in reducing consumption. Another process that can help is to make the substance legal but add so many taxes to its purchase that it is highly expensive, so that the healthy substances are more profitable for the average person. Another process is to give the healthy options subsidies through the grocery stores such that healthy choices are less expensive and yet not hurtful to the stores for selling them.

Also, if that particular store owner is really that upset and judgmental about folks using food stamps for what she perceives as unhealthy choices, then she should stop selling the unhealthy choices so she doesn't have to see what she doesn't want to see.

Quote taken from, "Proposals encourage better nutrition for Maine food stamp users: Two bills would change eating habits, EBT use," by David Charns, at http://www.wmtw.com/news/should-food-stamps-cover-junk-food/32554818

My submission to the Meredith Vieira Show, Digital Make a Wish Booth

I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis in 2011.  Since then, my number one hero has been Karen Forbes.  She saved my life by insisting that I go to the hospital when I was so sick I could barely make sense of the world.  She has helped me recover, supporting me when the world fell away leaving us alone.  She was there when oil had to be ordered in 50 gallon amounts because we couldn't afford full orders since I was unable to work.  She does the dishes even though it is my responsibility when I can't keep up because of constant migraines, which is my after effect from the bacterial meningitis.  She has done this while maintaining at least one and sometimes two jobs.  I am just amazed at how strong, powerful, and supportive she is.  I admire her stamina, and ability to maintain a positive affect through tough times.  I have had to reorder my life from a useful and happy worker bee, to one of a disabled person and relearning my new normal.  To say that this has been a simple easy road is a laugh.  Karen has been my rock through that process and continues to be so when the road gets really rough.  We also have a puppy that she insisted we get.  At first, I was angry about him and his unpredictableness, but he has grown into a great therapy dog.  He knows when the migraines are hard.  Karen's best idea. Thank you.

Praying the Prayers of the Bible, A Review

In Praying the Prayers of the Bible, James Banks has brought together reflections on various types of prayers with many selections of verses to pray and even some prayer starters of one to two sentences based on even more verses.

The book has a topical index and a listing of the verses that have been used in the book.  I really liked the section of prayers for when you are in pain, as I have migraines frequently.

I gave the book 5 stars because it is really useful and informative. I really liked this prayer helper.

I received my copy of the book through the NetGalley Reviewer Program and am not receiving anything else in exchange for my honest opinion.

Goals

Hey all,

I want to share my goals for 2015 with you, so you can all be my accountability partners. Yay!

Here we go!

Crafting Goals

1. Spin luxury batt with supported spindles 
2. Finish MKAL Alpine 
3. Spin a traditional 3 ply with the wheel 
4. Reduce stash by 1/3. 10 miles to 20 miles 
5. Finish coopworth locks spinning 
6. Use handspun in 3 projects
7. Weave a scarf 
8. Finish 2014 Year of Lace scarf

Priority Based Goals

1. Health
1. Lose 5 pounds in the first quarter of 2015
2. Lose 20 pounds for the year
2. Family
1. Date nights with K
2. Fun as a family once every to every other week
3. God
1. Maintain daily Bible reading plan
2. Pray the World Mission Rosary weekly
3. Daily prayers
4. Education
1. Attend one Mythgard course
2. Attend at least one Coursera course, not at same time, nor same time as Mythgard
5. Self
1. Take care of my body
2. Respect my limits
3. Relax daily

So that's it!  That's my goals for the next 12 months or so. I can do this!

When I feel like giving up, I will tell myself

The pain is only temporary.  This too shall pass. I can use this time to teach myself more about how I work.  My thoughts do not make my reality.

It's been a couple of months with the Bullet Journal, A Retrospective

I've been using the Bullet Journal for a month or two now. I like the system.

I'm using a graph lined composition book from Staples for my actual journal.  I use the note and task boxes.  If I complete a task, I check the box.  If I move the task to the next day or later, I put a right pointing arrow in the box.  I don't really use the event marks.  A note mark is just as easy.

I've been sick for a couple of weeks, or this update would have been published sooner.