I was working in IT during the 1980's and 1990's. Our motivation was the Franklin Planner system. We read books and attended workshops on the value of planning and how to do it in an organized way. We had beautiful binders, preprinted pages, and even a software program to prepare your daily lists and to print them out before putting them in the binder.

We used a system where you put down everything for the day and then assigned it a priority of A for most important to accomplish, B for important but not essential, and C for things to do if you still had time after the A and B tasks were accounted for.

When you had a block of free time, you pulled out you planner and picked a C task. Those were usually enjoyable things like watching TV or reading a novel.

After I retired from work at 61 I quit planning and the days began to run together for me. I had all the time in the world but never accomplished much. At some point, I realized that I still needed daily planning. I take 15 minutes every day and spend it on my To Do list. My list is in MS Word on my computer.

I currently do it in the evening before going to bed and plan for the next day. I don't assign priorities, but I do assign times. It keeps me on track and gives me some structure. This is a sample of tasks for today.

I am working on seting up the new LitterRobot box and hoping to eliminate cleaning litterbox from my tasks when my cat figures out how to use it. It has a 30 page instruction manual in very small print. I am getting it connected to WiFi and programmed.

Because you get to the end of the week exhausted, have you thought of adding a rest requirement? Something like 2 nights a week X hours of sleep? Now, as a lifelong problem sleeper, I have no idea how one does that but I like the idea, lol

Good Morning! I hope we are all ready for a great Fri-yay! Amy I hope you find some time this weekend for a recharge, I really get how you feel. I have a hair appt (just a cut) and chiropractor tomorrow and nothing else set in stone.

QOTD: Get my exercise done first thing, hydrate, take vitamins is the foundation I try to maintain.

TSS: 10 years 2 months

B: SF latte, 3 turkey sausage links, and an orange

L: Turkey and cheese sticks, carrots, light and fit yogurt and some fruit

S: A piece of fruit and yogurt

D: Maybe breakfast or just something easy. I have some RGF breakfast sandwiches in the freezer so maybe in the air fryer....

ES: Protein ice cream and carbmaster toast

E: 1/2 hour elliptical, 1 mile on treadmill and 20 mins Pilates bar

V/W: On track

Totals: TBD

Have a great day!

I was thinking this would definitely make sense with an HSA, because I think you still have access to the funds you've saved in there even after you're no longer working. For an FSA, I don't think having an extra $1000 would make sense (unless you're in a really high tax bracket, I guess...). Although I could probably come out ahead at some lower level - I'll see if I can figure it out. Our tax bracket should be higher than usual this year since DH had some capital gains when our financial guy re-tooled the account he inherited from his mother - making it more appropriate for someone his age (rather than her age...) - I'll check the IRS web site and see if can guesstimate what our new bracket will be (well, if we have a new one - I don't know the ranges right off hand - but it's posted somewhere)

I always make my own - from recipes I find on the internet. Here's the one I used for the channa dal (I've also made makhani dal several times (made with black lentils - and has cream in it (although I use half & half instead))

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/chana-dal-recipe-chana-dal /#wprm-recipe-container-139007