A need to prioritise

I am a list-maker.  I like lists; lists make my life into ordered, manageable segments that I can tick or cross off in nice, orderly fashion.  Or so I keep hoping.
I have a list of the things I need to do every day that I often forget (like hanging out the laundry instead of leaving it to fester in the machine); a list of things that I need to do on a particular day each week (in a desperate bid to develop Good Habits); a list of things that I need to do that day (which is renewed each day); a list of current projects I am supposed to be working on (based on my own fickle hobby choices, and voluntary work I seem to attract); a list of meals I am intending to cook that week (in order to avoid the inevitable WeHaveNothingInTheFridge dinner of bread and chutney); a shopping list; a Don't Forget This Important Thing list; a Pending list; a calendar; a year planner and a phone that beeps at me at appropriate intervals to remind me to breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

What I think I need to do is properly prioritise everything.  There is almost nothing on any of the lists that constitute life-or-death choices (aside from ensuring the children are fed and watered regularly), so I have to find a way of figuring out what is most important to me.

Firstly (after assuming that anything to do with my children comes before anything else), I think all those things where I am being depended on by another person or group to do something by an agreed date should be the highest priority:

1. Plunket Fundraising
2. PTA Fundraising

I an going to put Plunket first, as I figure I'll be part of the PTA for about 13 years; whereas going to playgroup when my children are all at school or Kindy seems a little redundant.

Next, I think things that have the potential to earn me money should come second (shameless advert coming up)

3. Knitting and crafts for the GiggiGoofer Shop

After that I think I should focus on things that will make me use my brain and stop me from just sitting around knitting all day (which is very tempting)

4.  Feasibility Study for the Plunket Playland I am hoping to create.  This is a long-term thing, so I need to make sure I do a bit on it regularly, or it'll get forgotten.

After that I really need to stop adding more stuff.  I keep having Great Ideas for things I'd like to do, and my list gets longer and longer so I get overwhelmed and disheartened at the sheer scale of it.  Then I do nothing, and the normal, every day stuff builds up and swamps me even more, so I end up sitting around knitting and pretending that the sofa is not buried under a pile of laundry.

I find it hard to get into routines for myself, as Tareka works a 4 on, 4 off shift, so his days off are different every week. This knocks me out of kilter as I want to spend time with him, and end up putting off stuff I am trying to do (like running every day, or getting the accounts up to date).

This week has been particularly difficult as Mapera has had ballet rehearsals just about every night, so we've had to plan meals, school runs and shopping round that, and it's exhausting all of us.
Big show is tomorrow, so with any luck I will be able to get back to normal next week...quick look at the calendar tells me: Sunday Light Party (more about this another time); Monday PTA meeting (should I offer to compile the volunteer database?); Tuesday dress-up at Music (what are we wearing?); Wednesday playgroup and shop work (must finish knitting more hats); Thursday Scrapping party (oh god I hope people turn up); Friday.....oh, looks like we are of to the in-laws for the weekend - time to knit, Skype and sleep.  Bliss.