Does life and your seemingly endless “To Do” list ever get you overwhelmed? For most people, unless you have a personal assistant, a nanny, a cleaning lady, a personal shopper, a chauffeur and a chef all in your employ, the answer is yes! In honor of September being Self Improvement Month, try a new strategy for getting things done and being happier as a result. Gretchen Rubin, the author of the Happiness Project, introduced an idea that she received from a reader on her blog website which is focused on making changes in twenty days, the average time it takes for a new behavior to become habit. The Odd/Even Strategy works like this. On odd numbered days, you focus on getting all the tedious and challenging tasks on your “To Do” list done. This strategy can be especially effective for those individuals who may be caring for an aging parent and trying to manage your household and theirs (keeping up with bills, sorting paper piles, grocery shopping, banking, home repairs and the rest of the list). On even numbered days, you focus on yourself and getting your stuff done. But as an added bonus, on even days you also take time to do something you enjoy (getting a manicure, going for a walk, having a glass of wine and curling up with a good book) even if it is just for thirty minutes. This way you will have something to look forward to every other day and it will hopefully help you push through the tough tasks on odd days. It also helps you by scheduling time to get those tedious tasks done so as to avoid putting them off all week long. So try the Odd/Even strategy and see for yourself if it creates more harmony in your life!
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