Everyone Needs PIA Days

By Jean Marie Herron

One recent day I had to -- I didn't really want to -- but felt I needed to -- complete a bunch of tasks/To Do's/chores that weren't exactly exciting. Truth be told, the thought of doing these To Do's annoyed me but I understood they should be done. Additionally, I felt I would feel better when I could get them off my brain.

So I coined this day in my calendar as my PIA Day(Pain in the A_ _ ) and here is a quick list of my PIA's that day:

Go to the municipal building and renew the dog license

Get an oil change

Go to the jewelers and fix the broken clasp on a necklace

Order more checks

Confront the insurance company on a doctor bill I didn't think I needed to pay

Return used printer cartridges to Cartridge World

These To Do's took me realistically half a day. Then I thought, as I often do as a professional organizer, we all need to make time for PIA tasks. Because when they are done, we feel resolved. Using the example above, after completion of these PIA's:

The dog is now legal and registered in our town

My car has another 3,000 miles of proactive maintenance

I can wear the necklace again that my husband gave me

I now know that I do not owe the gastroenterologist $789

My office floor is cleared of printer cartridge boxes and I can order backups and have room for them

Scheduling PIA blocks of time will make one feel productive and organized even if we don't like doing those To Do's while we are doing them. Additionally, if these mundane and non-date specific tasks don't get done, they pile up, turn into physical and time management clutter and can cause us bigger problems down the road if we procrastinate too long on them. For example:

I get a fine because the dog gets lost and the police find her

My car breaks down

I can't wear the necklace my husband gave me on our first anniversary for our 20th-anniversary dinner (3/19/19 by the way... )

I'm out of checks and the washing machine repair man doesn't take credit cards

The gastroenterologist statement goes to collection

My son trips on the printer cartridges and falls into my desk and gets a bloody nose

PIA Day Tips

Keep a running list of PIA To Do's handy on Paper or Digitally

Plan a convenient time on your calendar to accomplish these PIA's

On the appointed day of your PIA time blocking, "Just Do It!" as Nike says. Then reward yourself with something fun afterward, like treating yourself to a cappuccino (or your favorite beverage splurge)

This idea was probably what most people's old-fashioned Saturday morning used to look like, but life has gotten complicated. Somehow lots of other "things to do" have made it to our very full weekends. So do yourself a favor and PLAN time to get the non-priority chores done before they turn into a hot mess.

At POSSE (Professional Organizing Solutions Serving Everyone) we cater to homeowners who want one-on-one help with their organizing endeavors whether it's their space, papers or time. Besides transferring these organizing skills to our clients, we also hold organizing classes called Clutter Corrals, have a monthly forum for supporting each other called POSSE's Pen and we also give organizing presentations as well. To learn more about the author and owner, Jean Marie Herron, and sign up for her free newsletter go to http://www.POSSEPartnersLLC.com.