3 Techniques to Avoid the "It's Already Evening..." Feeling on Days Spent Mostly at Home

I realized I had fallen asleep. When I sat up, my head throbbed with a dull pain.

Suddenly, I noticed orange light streaming in through the gap in the lace curtains.
I had decided when I woke up that I would make the most of the day, and yet...

The more time we spend at home, the more we tend to waste it.

That is because there are no deadlines.

When there is a "finish line," such as work or dropping off children at school, we naturally move faster to make it in time.
If it looks like we won't make it, we can make choices like, "I'll do the laundry after I get back" or "I'll do the dishes later."

No deadlines.

With just that, our movements slow down, and we start to feel like things we could do right now can be put off until later.

Even now, I cannot completely eliminate this "sloth habit." I don't think it's possible to reach a point where you have zero days of regret, no matter how old you get.
However, by using three techniques, I have started to have "days without regrets."

1. Three Quests

The first technique is the "Three Quests."

It is a time management method where you decide on three things you want to prioritize finishing by the next hour mark.

There are two key points.

1. Not "one hour," but "until X o'clock"

By setting a goal for a clean time, you generate explosive focus.
Furthermore, you can start no matter what time it is. For example, if you start at "14:55," you choose "three things that can be finished in the 5 minutes until 3:00."

2. The low hurdle of "only three"

If it's "only three," it's easy to remember, and you feel like you can actually do it. Moreover, if you repeat it several times, you get a sense of accomplishment, thinking, "I got so much done today!"

▼ Example
https://twitter.com/Rinca_366/status/1755535363815444738

Since the Twitter days, I have been posting using the hashtag "#1h3q," and many people have used it.

2. Three-Block Schedule

I named the second technique the 'Three-Block Schedule'.

It is a method where you divide the day into three time slots—'morning,' 'afternoon,' and 'evening'—and decide on three 'themes' for each of these time slots.

・Difference from the Three-Quest method

It is similar to the Three-Quest method, but while Three-Quest is a way to focus on 'what is right in front of you now,' the Three-Block Schedule differs in that it is a 'loose plan'.

・Easy to adjust course

Each time slot lasts for several hours. Since you only need to accomplish three things within that time, the hurdle is lowered.

For example, suppose you decided the afternoon theme was 'clean the washroom, read 15 pages, clean the toilet.' Even if you end up taking a two-hour nap, as long as you finish these three things, you have 'cleared' it.

▼ Click here for more detailed information.

3. Triple Action

The third technique is 'Triple Action'.

When choosing what to do from a long list of To-Dos, this is a method of deciding by combining 'three elements'.

1. 'Still' and 'Active'

'Still' refers to tasks done while sitting. For example, writing, organizing documents, computer work, checking things, making phone calls, etc.
'Active' refers to tasks done while standing. For example, general housework, walking, exercise, etc.

'Still' → 'Active' → 'Still','Active' → 'Still' → 'Active'—by placing the task you most want to finish in the middle, you can maintain your concentration.

2. 'Obligation' and 'Healing'

There are things you have to do, but you really don't want to. This is a recommended method for those times.

3. Three types of locations

How to maintain focus by changing your environment.

▼ Click here for examples more focused on "housework." Recommended for those who want to clear out accumulated chores on their days off. (*When I was thinking about this in terms of housework, I called it "Mixed-Method Housework.")

I believe people generally fall into three personality types.

1. People who succeed by "acting before thinking"
2. People who succeed by "thinking before acting"
3. People who get bored easily and succeed by switching between the two depending on their mood

I am overwhelmingly a "3." I've created a diagnostic test that compares these three personality types to animals (actually, it's a bit more detailed with five types), and I call "3" the "Whimsical Cat Type."

▼ Click here if you'd like to take the diagnostic test. Since it's a housework blog, the results are written in terms of "housework," but the foundation can be applied to things other than chores.

The "Whimsical Cat Type."
I have struggled with this trait for many years.

I'm in perfect health. It's not like something bad happened. Yet, I can't do the things I was able to do last week.
Even when I join a club, after a while, I start wanting to do something else.
There are half-read books and unfinished embroidery projects scattered everywhere...

I felt so pathetic and ashamed of myself for being like that.

My way of thinking has changed recently.
Maybe my "tendency to get bored easily" is actually one of my charms.

Instead of making this a weakness, I've started to find ways to use it as my own unique strength.

I hope to write about that again if the opportunity arises.

▼ Tap the image to jump to my profile.

▼ I also write novels. Since there are over 20 completed works and short stories, how about reading them in your spare time? Most of what gets read is otherworldly romance, but I like contemporary stories too.