[Steph Hen]

Like everyone, I have a thousand and one jobs to do. There's the mundain like cooking, shopping and washing,
(in my head), occasional stuff like kids dr appointments, animal worming, etc, (on the Callander). Then everything else, like all the projects I want to do; planting trees, thank you cards, doing up different rooms, new chicken houses, build raised beds, etc, (in a notebook).

I have a notebook with all my projects and jobs listed. Some are simple like 'open account for baby and cash cheques' or 'thank you cards; design, order, write and post 70 cards'. Others have many action points and will take months eg. 'build conservatory'. My jobs/projects list is something like 34 pages now, with many on each page, and lots of crossing out and notes alongside (so often one task turns into another (the drycleaning still hasn't been picked up because I merrily crossed "Dry cleaning" when I finally remembered to put it in the car and drop it off. Doh!). Not an efficient way to store, view or plan!

Main question: Can anyone recommend a better method for visualising tasks (with their component action parts) that I might be able to use please? I started with coloured postit notes stuck on the fridge, but it's a mess, not easier to visualise at all. I have a white board and a chalk board but I'm struggling to think how to make everything more straightforward rather than more complicated. 

[PK]

Here's what I do. I use an A5 week to view diary. With the week set out in a double page I get a clear view of the next 7 days. I might also use a daily to do list which includes things that crop up and component tasks. I don't write down routine daily tasks like feeding animals, filling troughs or watering plants. Projects or big tasks that are less frequent are normally listed as winter tasks or summer tasks such as build a hen house or cut the hedges, I.e., there is a time line on each of them. There is no point in listing general aspirations or things in the remote future because they won't get done or you change your mind about them.
I recognise that many many might function without writing anything down but, as I suspect is the case with you, I like to feel I am in control of a busy life. This could all be done on an iPad or phone, but I find that inputting the information is time consuming and it's easier to write it out.

[Black Sheep]

I use Evernote to keep track of things, both simple task lists (you can add checkboxes to tick them off) and also dedicated notebooks (you can create as many as you need) to hold multiples notes on a specific topic. The basic version (which is probably enough) is free and you can access via the web, desktop computer or via mobile/tablet apps that stay in sync.

[Steph Hen]

Thank you for your input, really good food for thought. I've not heard of Evernote before. I don't use outlook at the moment, just free, web based emails although that'll change when I go back to work.
I think the organisation will need to be a mixture of methods - I like having a calendar on the wall for appointments, etc, - I like that my oldest can also see and discuss days till things happen and dad knows to ask how various things have gone. Maybe a week to view to carry about would be good? I'll have a think, thanks again.

[DavidandCollette]

Like PK I use an A4 week to a view diary. Each page is split into two, left side is appointments and to do, right side is what is achieved. I keep the previous years diary to hand so I can check progress. I also use Excel to produce a 12 month plan split between sheep, chickens, polytunnel etc. That helps me at the beginning of the month to prioritise my work. Hope that helps

[Rosemary]

A4 diary week to view for appointments etc.

Srpeadsheet - month to a page with all the routine stuff like lambing starting, heptavac etc (that just rolls forward year on year then I add non-routine / development stuff for each month early spring when Dan and I look at what projects we want to undertake in the coming year.

Then I have a homemade pad with a page for each day that I write up weekly and amend each day as things get added / scored off ( seems to be more adding than scoring off on many days)

Whatever method you choose, it's the planning rather than the plan that matters.