Dear World
Who on earth is interested in Odd Jobs?
Why would anyone want to be doing Odd Jobs?
What is the purpose of completing Odd Jobs?
Would it be true to say we all have odd jobs that require action?
Would it be true to say we have odd jobs that never get done?
Would it be true to say we simply have no time for odd jobs?
Would it be true to say we are not interested in odd jobs?
Would it be true to say that odd jobs are never a priority for us?
Would it be true to say that we avoid odd jobs at all costs?
Would it be true to say that odd jobs bug us but we do nothing?
Would it be true to say that we ignore odd jobs that annoy us?
Would it be true to say that odd jobs need our attention?
Would it be true to say that these odd jobs keep piling up?
Would it be true to say that we hope odd jobs would go away?
Would it be true to say that odd jobs make our to do list too long?
Would it be true to say we feel overwhelmed with our list of odd jobs?
Would it be true to say that after a year the odd jobs are still there?
Would it be true to say that we are just too busy when it comes to finding time for small odd jobs?
Would it be true to say that the odd jobs outstanding are now bugging us and giving us a headache?
Would it be true to say that we have yet to find the time and space to Get On With the odd jobs list that really needs prompt action?
What is it about us that keeps procrastinating and making Excuses when it comes to our odd jobs?
What if we simply took a half day off and made the odd jobs a Priority?
What if we actually Stop, Just STOP and took stock of ALL the things that need our attention and made a list?
What if we just made a start and see where we go with –
Tidy up the messy room with the clutter
Sorting out what we need and what can go
Getting the shoes to the repair shop as it’s well overdue
Taking the stuff to the recycle place that’s clogging the hallway
Going to the sorting office to collect the package as we got a note
Trotting down to the key shop and getting the extra key cut now
Collecting our dry cleaning that’s sitting in the shop for weeks
Taking the clothes that are piling up to the charity/goodwill shop
Dropping off those items to the local community place that have been clogging up our space for way too long
Booking the GP appointment without any further delay
Taking the offer to have our Breast Screening appointment without further delay and excuses
Making sure we get the Prostate check-up appointment booked now, not later as later is not the answer
Booking to see the opticians now as the reminder note is a year old
Booking the dentist as we can no longer avoid this important job
Booking the car in for the overdue service as that is our Responsibility
Use a damp cloth and wipe down all suitcases and other luggage
Putting our suitcase away as it’s been 6 months since we used it
Getting the odd job man to do the bits we need help with
Organising the wheelie bin wash every month
Fixing the small leak that bugs us everyday
Getting the toilet seat replaced as its broken
Fixing the screw that is loose on the saucepan handle
Getting the doorbell fixed or replaced so no more missed parcels
Replacing the batteries in the clock so it shows the right time
Sewing the button on so we never need to feel the ‘must get it done’
De-fluff the jumpers gently and slowly – this odd job deserves a steady hand
Making a note at the end of our diary for important dates next year, then deleting the email that is hanging around
Making the phone call which we have been putting off for no reason
Taking action by making the calls to change utilities, instead of constantly moaning about it and letting the months go by
Actually doing the paperwork and filing that is well overdue
Checking the bank and credit card statements thoroughly and reviewing the ins and outs so we know exactly where our money life is
Making sure we follow through and file our statements in the right place
Actually sitting with the post and opening it as a starting point, then seeing the value of this important job
Seeing that opening the pile of post is a step in Responsibility
Returning the mail to sender, which is now a huge pile by the front door
Getting rid of the old catalogues that we never read or even want near us
Going through the stack of books which just sit on the floor and do nothing but annoy us
Finally Letting Go of the old newspaper cuttings that are so old
Taking action by dealing with those odd emails that niggle us
Looking at our pending folder and dealing with it one by one
Selling those items online that we have been banging on about to others, but never done anything about
Letting go of the big box with empty boxes as it has had 4 house moves and been of no use so far
Clearing out the empty jars and containers from the kitchen cupboards, which have never seen daylight in years
Review first-aid box – tidy up, discard and replace what is needed
Clear out then clean the glove compartment in the car
Keep only what is needed
Cleaning the fancy shoes and putting them back in their box for another occasion
Removing the dry crusty mud from our wellies we wore last autumn, as it’s now summer and they are staring at us saying ‘clean me up please’
Cleaning out the shed that has never seen a human in 3 years
Bringing life to our dead curtains by washing them this year
Clearing out the office drawer because we can never find anything
Dealing with the odd bits in the dumping drawer in the kitchen
Cleaning out the unit under the sink as we hate to look at it
Clean the extension leads that we seem to use a lot
De-scale the iron as the light is always reminding us
Give the microwave a deep clean in and out with the right stuff
Clean the kettle with a de-scaler instead of the easy option – buy a new one
Wash the cloths used for cleaning glasses using mild detergent and rinse thoroughly
Washing the hairbrushes and combs that look old and manky
Giving the fridge a deep clean that it deserves and throwing out all the stuff which is well out of date
Washing and drying gently every pull out shelf in the freezer and letting go of food that’s been in there since day dot
Going through the loft and being Real and Honest that we don’t need to hang on to the stuff anymore
Getting real that the cellar does not need to be a hoarding Just in Case space any longer
Hello
What if we just make a start instead of putting off the Odd Jobs?
What if we could feel at the end of one task, which one needs our attention next?
What if we actually started to take small steps to carry out the Odd Jobs tasks?
What if we stop and Appreciate just for a moment when we complete an Odd Job task?
What if we put our Focus and Priority on one job at a time and see what happens?
What if we feel better inside simply by dealing with these undealt with jobs?
What if our body says Thank You as it does not have the tension of Holding On to all these Odd Jobs?
What if our body feels the dragging of carrying daily all the un-actioned Odd Jobs?
What if Odd Jobs in some way actually drain our life force?
What if Odd Jobs are confirming that we are not closing cycles? – read our blog about Closing Cycles?
What if taking action so we never have a long list of Odd Jobs helps us to Flow in life?
What if we have more energy just by simply dealing with our Odd Jobs so it never gets to the point where it feels too much to get on with?
What if we made a choice to not book the escape weekend break away and instead took that time to deal with our never ending Odd Jobs list?
What if we made a choice to not watch TV or distract ourselves on Social Media and used the time wisely to deal with Odd Jobs?
What if we took a much needed rest away from the Internet and made the effort to get some Odd Jobs done?
What if we could live a life where we no longer have a list of Odd Jobs because we now choose to deal with things with an immediacy, instead of a delay?
What if we have a Responsibility to deal with our Odd Jobs so our body does not have to hold the tension?
What if the choice to action our Odd Jobs gives us the much needed space we have always wanted?
What if all the tips in this blog are worth considering as they come from real life lived experience?
Comments 10
Ha! This is a brilliant blog. What a great subject – one that surely touches every person on the planet.
I have to say, I absolutely love getting odd jobs done. There is such a sense of completion when you do it. But I also have to say, they do sometimes hang around like a bad smell in our house, popping into our line of sight and draining our brains.
When I finish an odd job, or make sure our household deals with one, the next thing presents itself with ease – there is certainly a flow and it is great to feel how effortless that is. Who needs a list if you have that?!
However, what I realise reading this blog is that there is rarely a pause when I finish an odd job – a pause to appreciate that completion. It is like the odd job is sometimes treated as an irritation, rather than a detail of life to be taken care of.
And yet there is such joy in the ‘little’ things – the things that help life flow. That really comes through in this blog.
For which, thank you Simple Living Global – I am printing it out now for the whole family.
I absolutely LOVE this blog like I love this website.
It is so real and practical.
I thoroughly enjoy doing odd jobs and completing them.
Not in a – “I have to get it done” kind of way but because I know that odd jobs hold value.
Attending to the odd jobs, as listed by the author of this blog is equally as important as the things that we do that people get to see.
I see odd jobs as part of my foundation in life and KNOW that I cannot progress or excel in the world if I have things left undone at home for example, even if it is clearing out a drawer.
Everything has to be looked at constantly if we truly want to grow – so what if odd jobs help us to evolve?
I know that my life has changed immensely by choosing to get things done and not leaving them hanging around, no matter how small.
That reminds me, I have an odd job to do of registering with a new GP surgery, following my house move that I need to get on with.
Thank you Simple Living Global for the reminder.
“I see odd jobs as part of my foundation in life and KNOW that I cannot progress or excel in the world if I have things left undone at home for example, even if it is clearing out a drawer.”
Shevon, it is very interesting what you say here. That you cannot deliver ‘out there’ if you haven’t taken care of things at home.
This is a refreshing way of looking at things, that makes absolute sense to me. However, I am wondering how many of us know that and live this way today.
So I can be out there doing ‘important work’, but if my home is a mess or I haven’t taken care of the everyday details of my life, what I deliver at work will be degraded by that.
It also feels like this is a form of self care. Caring for the home and caring for the admin of life = caring for you.
So the more we care about and take responsibility for the odd jobs, the more that can resonate when we do go ‘out there’ in life, as we will take the attention to detail and the responsibility and the high standards out with us to others.
Yes I agree RP, odd jobs are for me also about paying attention to detail, as they are usually the not obvious big things that we deal with and give priority.
There is a real flow in my life when I deal with odd jobs. It is like I can see more in life of what is needed and by dealing with odd jobs at home, I notice that in the office I see detail that I would have missed before. My vision is sharper. I know this might seem far fetched, but I do notice that when I clear things up, no matter how small, it does give me the space to see more.
So what if our sight is not just dictated by genetics?
What if consistently dealing with practical tasks like odd jobs support our vision?
What if the way that we live in life and whether we are willing to go further and attend to the detail and not just deal with what is right in front of our nose, makes a difference to what we then see?
Odd Jobs for me are super important and the good news now is that it does not bother me if there is a list to get on with.
Procrastinating and avoiding is not how I action so that is also good.
On Sunday we had some support and the garden sheds were not only cleaned and cleared out, but every single thing was reviewed and I could honestly feel the lightness at the end of our garden. It’s like something dense and heavy had gone.
I know that if we don’t take any action and just avoid these niggly things that bug us because they need doing – we simply carry this around in our body and it causes tension and feels like a draining of our life force.
I for one am always looking at what else could be reviewed and refined whilst the list of odd jobs get done. Time is allocated and a date and then it is serious business.
That means no deviating, excuses or wavering – just simply GET ON WITH IT https://simplelivingglobal.com/get-on-with-it/
There is fun and a lot of joy getting things done that have been hanging around.
Like a cycle completes and at the end with a deep Appreciation, I always know what’s next. The important thing in all of this for me is to not push or try and do more.
If my body needs a rest then that is a priority.
When I do the actual task in hand, things just come to me like missing pieces of a jigsaw and it is like I go into a space, a zone where I can access wisdom, things become clearer about something I have been questioning or I just know, because I have a realisation.
This to me is worth gold because I know the time was not wasted – in fact it is well worth my time doing odd jobs and seeing them through to the end, without the need for perfection.
Oh the joy of odd jobs.
Weekends are when these get done in our house. The jobs pile up and things feel incomplete if we don’t protect that time.
Much has been processed and completed this weekend and it feels great.
The kids feel it too.
– Homework gets overwhelming and dissatisfying if it builds up.
– The bedrooms get disorderly and it starts to impact quality of sleep.
– The shoes can’t be worn when they are needed because they haven’t been cleaned.
… The list goes on.
I love that this blog shines a light on this basic human thing called odd jobs and reminds us that it’s the simple stuff really that brings a flow to life.
I have just come to realise a bit more about this ‘odd job’ stuff and that is there is a timing and if we just think we can force and deal with the task in hand, it would be true to say that it will not hold the quality.
Best to do things when we feel in the flow zone that day and the space just opens up.
I will expand on this with real life – lived experience.
In the past when I have done odd jobs with pressure, the clock thing or feeling like things are messy, must tidy up – it may be out of sync.
In other words, not when my body was up for it and not in my rhythm as other things needed my attention first.
Now I know there is a timing for everything and that does mean we need to tune in and pay attention. The Plug in and Connect blog on this website is a must if any reader wants to get what I am presenting here.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/plug-in-and-connect/
Back to Odd Job talk
As a serial writer and that means a strong commitment to writing everyday with a quality and consistency, I am sometimes aware of my deadlines and in particular with blog writing.
Well I have come to learn – don’t bother clock watching, checking the date or any other nonsense that puts pressure on or feels like our mind is being fed with a force to complete the job. All this will affect our body and take it from me, it is not the truth.
Classic example is today – yes there is a deadline
Do I look like I am in any rush or even bothered about the clock ticking away?
Am I distracted or lost the plot and in the danger zone – certainly not.
Instead I made a choice to look at the odd jobs in the office that needed action.
With absolute focus, I got on with it and in no time things were getting done like –
Return of junk mail to senders which I have a way of doing using sticky labels and highlight pen.
Odd notes where action needed to be taken
Check emails recently that needed action
Phone calls to book/change appointments
Important reading needed printing – done
Filing and bringing more order – done
Thank you cards needed writing – done
Pending tray needed a review – done
Well the thing I noticed was odd jobs were getting done at supersonic speed but the clock was barely moving. Interesting
Then this just led to more – a list ready for odd jobs outside with items ready to go…
Pharmacy
Dry Cleaners
Post Office
Sewing shop
Bank
No effort – just pure flow zone (another blog worth reading)
https://simplelivingglobal.com/living-in-the-flow-zone/
Back to the deadline
I feel an enormous amount of space and clarity because of shifting the odd jobs and there is actual order and space that can be felt in the office.
Now when I write to complete this deadline – there is room for this valuable important piece of work BUT not seeing it as more important than the odd jobs is key.
We often have this habit of putting value to certain things instead of seeing and feeling that everything is the same and this same same leads to a one life of seamlessness where we just move from one thing to the next without big gaps that may be called distractions, lazy days or can’t be bothered days.
I absolutely love getting on with Odd Jobs that need action.
Today was a day of this and my goodness the amount that has got done is just incredible.
It was like my body was the engine and we got into the right gear and boom things just happened, one after the other and all flowing. As soon as I was completing one task, another thought and another movement and something else took place.
Time was not in the equation as it felt like the clock was barely moving, but the stuff around me was at a galactic speed.
With that strong focus and not allowing any distractions whatsoever, I just continued all day and jobs I had not planned to do swiftly got finished and on to the next thing.
It is now evening and I can feel space and clarity all around. Above all I feel immense joy and zero tiredness or fatigue.
I realise the value and importance of completing things and sometimes it takes a Odd Jobs day to just get on with it. There was not any room for excuses and what happened was nothing short of magic if you ask me.
I love this article and this website as there are so many usefull everyday blogs like this that one day someone might read and be inspired to get on with it.
In the meantime, as the author of this stupendous, monumental website, I will continue to present anything and everything that could possibly bring more awareness to humanity. On that note, I will be writing until my last breath.
Super blog Simple Living Global.
We dismiss doing the ‘Odd Jobs’ at our peril.
There’s a saying that goes:
‘Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’.
In a way, we can view doing odd jobs in the same way.
It makes sense that completing our odd jobs will give us the space to start or complete the bigger jobs that we have been procrastinating with.
And because we haven’t got the thoughts of having to do all of these odd jobs mulling around all the time, is it possible that our minds will be that much freer and clearer?
And is it possible that, if our minds are that much freer and clearer, we will start to have answers to the questions that have been eluding us?
There really are no drawbacks to doing our odd jobs.
For me personally, I feel a sense of achievement. I feel I have more space. I feel contentment. My working space is that much tidier. I feel a sense of completion.
I feel ready and willing to get on to the next odd job. I feel lighter in my body.
But, by not doing my odd jobs I feel lethargic. I feel I haven’t competed anything. I feel more tired. I always have the thoughts in my head saying I need to get on with these jobs.
At the end of the day, no one else is going to do our odd jobs for us so we might as well just dive in and – like the middle name of the author of this blog – Get On With It.
This comment could go on Tidy Up but it feels more appropriate on this blog as it comes down to Odd Jobs.
There is no “Day Off” so to speak in my life as how I operate is everything is just another day and things get done.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/day-off/
I have noticed recently that certain things on the list for the day may not be done and it’s no big deal because on another day it gets done with absolute ease and it’s like the clock just stops and the jaw drops as so much has been done.
Well that just happened this morning.
A pile of stuff on the dining table got moved as we had a family dinner and the decks needed to be cleared. I had that “must deal with that pile” thought.
For the record – I do not have this pile of stuff from long ago. It is current and things need action so it goes there.
Call it a moment – a window of space where I knew this was the next move. One by one I went through everything and actioned them. To me action is – sending a message to say package received in the mail and that I will respond this week. Instantly that means no stress this end and the other person is not thinking this or that or chasing me. The simple reason for this is because my schedule did not allow for dealing with the contents as this was not the time for that.
I then reviewed what was in that pile that could now go or be filed or whatever it was.
There are things that need reading and other bits that require my attention.
ALL has been moved and something has happened. I feel like I went into another zone and there was invisible help as it all got done fast and I was super steady. The bonus was these actions led to other things that need addressing, so I have made a note and I just know that they will get done and I am not carrying messages in my head hoping to do a memory recall, as its all listed and there is order because I can feel that.
I reckon many of us spend a lot of time procrastinating and when we do get around to the job in hand, we put off bits we don’t want to action. This is understandable but where I know I have nailed this is doing what is needed when it feels the right moment and not trying to push it when it is not the right time, like before bed in the evening.
The point of this comment is more gets done, there is a flow and its super easy when we approach whatever it is we need to get on with from the understanding of what this magnificent blog is presenting.
Our world has lost its way as we no longer value the simple little things in life like odd jobs. To me the practical aspect of life is super important and all these practical tasks hold us steady and I am living proof of that fact. No need to double blind and test me in a lab, just take my words here.