Games to Play that Increase Organization Skills at Home

Life is fast and mature women need to keep up on the job and maintain organization skills at home. It can be a challenge to do it all while remaining relaxed and sane.

Surprisingly, it is often harder to maintain organization skills at home than at work. There are hundreds of reasons for this and for now we'll just accept that it's so. What we'll focus on instead is sharing little tricks and games to play that will get items off your to-do list.

Mature women can use these games to increase organization skills at home. With a minimum of effort you'll move to an organized level at home that rivals or exceeds your superwoman work level.

Three simple games to play are (1) beat the clock (2) one for the money, two for the show, and (3) three to get ready.

Beat the Clock

One of the the simplest games to play that will help you cross items off your to-do list is Beat the Clock. You only need two items to play this game â€" your to-do list and a timer.

I like to play Beat the Clock on weekends when I really just want to sip wine and read the latest bestseller. What I do is start reading my book and whenever I get to a stopping point, the end of a chapter for example, I set the timer for 15 minutes. I pick an item from my list and work on it until it is complete or the timer rings. Then I go back to reading. I repeat this read-work sequence at least five times during the day then I quit and “go off the clock�.

If my to-do list is especially backed up I'll try to read-work 10 times before going “off the clock� for the day. However, you should consider Game Over once you've completed five sequences. More than likely you'll have crossed at least five items off your to-do list. You earn a point for every task crossed off your list.

Two for the Show

This game is especially helpful if you're one of those mature women who too often finds herself stuck in front of the TV or caught on the phone with a chatty friend. To play this game you need your to-do list and the ability to multi-task.

The couch potato version is the easiest and will get at least two items crossed off your list. These are the rules; before sitting down to watch TV you (a) complete the least arduous task on your list â€" make one phone call, put a tub of towels in the washer, unload the dishwasher. (b) Pick one multi-step item from the list and designate it the night's project. (c) Assume the couch potato position. (d) Every time a commercial comes on work on one step of the project â€" if you're watching a commercial free channel work during lulls in the action or laughs. Having the one project, instead of your whole list, will focus your mind enough that you can easily multi-task. Try it. How much attention do you really need to give to the TV show to enjoy it?

To play the “trapped on the phone� version you designate a couple of task types as phone projects. Mine are cleaning the kitchen and dusting. So whenever I pickup the phone and realize it's going to be a long conversation I head for the kitchen or start dusting. There always seems to be one room that needs dusting. Ironing and folding clothes also work well as the designated projects. Mature women should also have a list of ready to use lines prepared to gently usher extra-long winded people off the phone after a certain amount of time. You earn a point for every task crossed off your list.

Three to Get Ready

Three to Get Ready is all about putting everything in its place. It epitomizes simple organization skills at home. It is one of the habits that makes it easy to get everything done in an alloted time frame. I usually do this first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

To play, pick a number. I usually use 3 or 5. Start in any room of the house and put the selected number of things in their proper place. Go through the house and do this for every room. Give yourself a point for every room where you found less than the chosen number of things out of place. For example if only two things were out of place in the bedroom, you earned a point. If more than three things need putting up, put up three and move on to the next room. If you find an item that doesn't really belong anywhere then add "designate a home for ..." on your to-do list and deal with the item and all similar things later.

After you've roamed through the whole house mark “clean the house� or a similar item off your to-do and enjoy the rest of your day. Home is a place to be relaxed and sane. Who wants to go from work TO work?

Mature Women Get Rewards

To get maximum, ongoing benefit from these games make a list of rewards and a point value for earning them.

Also have a complete, at hand, to-do list of tasks not projects. It's amazingly hard to cross large projects off your to-do list so when you find them there take the time to break them down into doable tasks.

Have fun as you make up your own games to play that facilitate organization skills at home.