Where Do Those Tasks Fit In?

So, you have figured out WHAT is important, but how do you determine WHERE a task fits in? In your very busy life, that sometimes gets turned upside down, how do you decide where to schedule certain things? 
I like to group things together into certain days. You may have a different approach. Whatever you do, scheduling time for a task reminds you that it is something that is important to you and you want to make it a priority in your life. 
Unless it is something that needs done every day, I will schedule cleaning things on Mondays and Thursdays. All paperwork/computer stuff I try to schedule on Tuesdays. Everything errand related gets assigned to a Wednesday. And anything extra that just does not fit in anywhere else, I can usually decide to toss, I love it enough to do on a Friday or I make room for it on a Saturday if it is something important. 

But the real trick here is remembering these tips: 
1) You control your task list. You have the power to make sure everything on that list is important to you. Do not say you want a clean house or to exercise frequently and then feel like your list is overwhelming. If you want something enough, take the time for it. 

2) Be certain and okay that even on the best weeks you probably will not get to everything. That is okay. Your task list is basically to guide you and remind you of the direction you want your life to go. But this is real life and while you must have to plan to guide you, there will be detours and hiccups. That is okay. Having things written down means you will always know where to pick back up. 

3) It is okay to move things around. Sometimes we plan out how things will work and when we actually implement the plan, things go very wrong. I usually try to push through two or even three different times with a plan to try and see if it was just that particular day or if I really need to rethink things. Moving things around is much more simple than feeling as though you can "never stick to a plan". Simply work on the plan until it works. Most of the time. 

For years I have been very strict about my stay-home-and-clean-and-do-laundry-and-do-not-let-anything-mess-with-my-day-Mondays. Now, I give it some serious thought, but I do not always automatically nix things that might mess up my get-started-on-the-week-Mondays. It is nice to be more flexible, but I know that keeping those days reserved for so many years was so important to my sanity. And some days I do decide to be more strict about the time I need to complete things that are important to me. Do what works for you and do not be afraid to say that you cannot do something on a particular day - even if that day is "only" held in reserve for a date with your mop and washing machine. If it is important to you, schedule it and honor those commitments to yourself. You will feel more calm and get better at protecting the time you need for yourself and your family.