pageta said:
I'm thinking about all the things I have to do that would be nice if I got them done but they certainly aren't necessary. For instance, I would like to go through my recipe books and get rid of the ones I don't use. [/I]
Ha! I have learned that if something is on my Someday/Maybe list and would simply be a nice thing to do, 99% of the time it might as well be called
Ain't-Never-Gonna-Happen.
I actually have exactly the same idea that it would be "nice" for me to go through my recipe books! For something like the recipe book organization you described, I have a couple strategies.
1. I decided that every week I will try to do one small "home improvement" (usually 30-60 minutes) such as this. Most of these improvements involve organizing or cleaning something that doesn't get done in the regular routine but that is a nagging annoyance.
2. The second strategy is often better. I realize that the "nice" thing is simply a perfectionistic ideal, not a better reality, and decide to forget about it altogether. The situation may change to the point where it becomes more important later, when I can always add it back to my list.
So the thing about these "nice" Someday/Maybes is to decide whether I should do them, at least anytime soon. About things like organizing recipe books, I ask myself, Would doing this improve my quality of life? Or, more specifically, would doing this improve my use and enjoyment of my home? Even better, look at the whole list and ask, What things would make the greatest difference if I were to do them? (borrowed from Covey) These questions really help me define my priorities and avoid wasting time doing perfectionistic tasks with low payoff.
Of course, if every day of my life I had to hunt through my recipes, or if I really needed the space occupied by those unused recipe books, I would decide that the task was "necessary," not just "nice," and move it from the S/M list to a context where it actually has a hope of getting done.
And finally, there's nothing wrong with subdividing S/M into multiple lists. An obvious start would be a "Someday" list for things you're committed to but don't want to do soon, and a "Maybe" list for the nice/brainstorming kinds of things. Or make a few tickler lists, one to revisit once a month, one to revisit next year, etc. When you have hundreds of S/M items, it's really time to subdivide, in my opinion.