The art of pottering about

[Indecisivelurcher]

Feel like I've had an epiphany, hear me out! I've got loads of jobs to do at home, it's making me feel a bit stressed to be honest. Decorating bits, clearing the loft, tidying the shed, gardening. I have been wondering how to get through it all, putting things into a mental list. Then I thought, why am I rushing to get through all these jobs? What am I rushing to do? Sit on my bum? Maybe for some people, the jobs are the point! So wise mumsnet, is pottering through jobs the point rather than the end?!

@Ionlydomassiveones

See I’m a purist. To me ‘pottering’ is NOT working through your housework list. That’s actually ‘doing stuff’.

Pottering is doing random semi-useful things to put off ‘doing stuff’.

For me it’s things like moving things around the house, then moving them back again because they looked better where they were. It’s marvelling at how out of date your spices are and wondering why you ever ended up with 3 jars of cardamom seeds. It’s reading half an article and then getting distracted by a squirrel sniffling the neighbour’s bird nuts…oh, oh and clearing the crap out your handbag and then getting distracted making a fifth coffee… etc etc

That’s pottering to me. Disorganised, distracting bliss!

Oh this is perfect. I am so with you on all of this. Especially the moving stuff and then putting it back. Love it.

@toppkatz

I like pottering in the garden. Housework and other chores - not so much!

The only thing that I've found that works is to make a list. Not of things to do, but of things done. Then you haven't got a list full of things you haven't done yet, you have a list of things you have done. Much more satisfying.

Love this! Perfect way of looking at it.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

I think the world is divided into potterers and 'Im so busy' people. It's a state of mind more than an action . I am a potterer

I think you're right but I'm a potterer who unfortunately has a busier life than I'd like, so I have days when I work through a list and other days where I specifically decide I'm going to potter.

Probably a bit controversial, but I don’t think men potter. I’d say they maybe “tinker’ or “blunder” !

I think pottering, in the long run, is more productive 🤣

i potter with love. i choose a little task that i want to do, i embrace it and put my heart into it and take pride in the result.
i think doing it while being in the right frame of mind makes all the difference. while doing the pottering i also remind myself how grateful i am to; have the time to do it, have the ability to do it, and have the spirit to know it's a good thing.

Me too op! It's the weekends I live for now. I love my house but it does have some niggly things that need doing. I used to be of the mindset that everything had to be done at once, or to a perfect standard, but I read that 'done is better than oerfect' and it has changed my outlook.

Now I love having two or three jobs to do of a day and I feel so happy when I complete them. I used to be a fan of mega long lists of every thing that had o be done and, safe to say, the list went uncompleted so many times it made me feel terrible.

Bow I just have three things to do so anything beyond that is a bonus.

I love pottering around, but feel i need to add, a contigo comes into its own when potteeing around the house.
i make up two in the morning, leave one sealed for later and have one on hand wherever i am in the house… more time for pottering around with coffee on tap!