Staying organized without a rigid schedule

Do you ever think throughout your day, "Now, what should I be doing right now that needs to be done instead of sitting here on Facebook playing a game and reading everyone's status?"  I sure have!  Things like Facebook can be a real time stealer for me.  Don't get me wrong, if it weren't for Facebook and how the Lord has used that tool in my life, I would not have: adopted Joshua, met so many awesome people, and learned about the SCD diet for healing my son's Crohn's.  However, there are certain things I want to accomplish, or at least work on, each day, and if I'm not careful they will be forgotten or put on a back burner for way too long.

Rigid scheduling just doesn't work for me.  I've tried, tried, and tried again.  I purchased a book that helps you be a great manager of time in your home, and while it is a really great book and idea...it stresses me out to no end to try to keep up with a rigid schedule...even if I tell myself over and over again that it is just a guide and not law.  I know it works great for others, just not me.

My mom has always been a pretty organized woman.  I have always admired how she gets so much done in a day.  So, I'm adopting (but slightly adapting) her system.  It's an easy system.  All she does is keep a list on her counter of what she wants to accomplish each day, and she draws a line through each task as she completes it.  No time schedule.  No "Oh-my-gosh-it's ________ and-I-haven't-gotten-to ____ yet," stress.  I'll just get through as much of my list as possible, and not worry about it if somethings don't get crossed off; just carry it over to the next day.

I got this idea from the book, "Homeschooling With A Meek and Gentle Spirit," by Teri Maxwell (Lol...who actually wrote the great book on managing your time! I sure hope she never reads this and gets offended that I'm not using that book...).  Somehow, I want to make a little notebook with many copies of my master list below, and bind them together.  That way, I can look back a day or so at what I wasn't able to accomplish and carry it over to the next day.  The blank lines are to be filled in each day (obviously).  I'm also going to make a master cleaning list to refer to.  I'll post that next time.

Also, I don't have it listed below, but I do have a bit of a time schedule in my head.  For instance, I want to start school by 8:30am, finish by noon, and have dinner ready by 5:30, etc.  I just don't write those down because, well, it will stress me out, lol.

Feel free to copy this, or let me know what YOU do to stay organized and on track!  :o)

Daily Master List

Devotions

Dinner prep ____________________

School

Email, FB, Banking

Clean __________________________

Organize /Purge ________________

Decorate/Plan/Buy _____________

Research _______________________

Go to ___________________________

Read – Nourishing Traditions

Read – Library book

Read – Story to A.J. and Josh

______________ Bath

Homeschool correct/prep

Craft