automating without becoming an automaton

I live my life by lists. My lists keep me sane and allow me to get all of the various stuff I do done. (Thanks, Mom, for the genetic propensity to put everything on a list.)

This February exercise in getting 28 manini things done gives you a little peek into one of my little flaws in this area, though: putting the little stuff on a list, but continuing to push it back and back and back again in favor of tackling bigger (more revenue-generating, more interesting, more urgent) stuff. So, a month of mindful decluttering to streamline the master list and make everything work that much more smoothly.

Anyway. Where was I? Lists.

I do several art shows every year, some indoor, and some outdoor. Sometimes the indoor ones provide tables, and sometimes they don’t. While I keep (most of) my show stuff in boxes and ready to go, these variables determine what I need to take and what I don’t for different kinds of shows.

an old show setup

After one bad experience a couple years ago when I grabbed the tent boxes for an indoor show but not the all of the ones I needed for an indoor show, and then had to send my sweet, sweet husband back home for the right ones, I determined to make a list.

And then I kept putting it off, until this past summer, when I got serious about it and went through each and every box and listed its contents.

And then I chucked that scribbled list into my in basket. And here we are today.

This morning I excavated the list and typed it up into a Word document, with checkboxes and everything. I mentally went through every step for setting up an outdoor show, to make sure I had everything.

Then I saved and copied that list, and I adjusted it for indoor shows where I have to bring my own tables. I deleted all the tent- and bug-related stuff and adjusted a few other things.

Then I saved and copied that list, and I adjusted it for indoor shows where they provide the tables. I deleted the tables and custom table covers and added tablecloths and table risers, just in case they might work with the tables supplied. (My own new tables have built-in height adjustment.)

I will still likely end up bringing a few more things than I absolutely need (chronic overpacker here), but at least now I can be sure I have everything and free up some space in my brain for important stuff.