You are time poor because of the commitments you have in your life and suddenly Mum has decided to visit. You are busy, you are time poor.  BUT you need to make a good impression. What do you do?? Logically take care of the most important areas first. Those areas Mum will be more likely to visit and see.  Mum is not staying long and the weather is wet so she will not be out in the patio let alone the backyard or gardens.  

​That process worked through, what are you tiding up?……the house! Where to start - the kitchen, people seem to congregate there. Next the bathrooms and toilets, because they are always used, then lounge and sitting areas. The inside Phew that takes the pressure off.

What have you just identified in this scenario is exactly how Zones work in Permaculture. 

The Zones in Permaculture are convenient ways to denote what areas of your block you visit most often and how long you spend there. In an ideal world they would neatly surround your house as in the Diagram 1. 

​However, thankfully, this is not an ideal world so instead of being neat circles you can bend and twist them to suit your needs. 

Thing to note about this is - it was done on a how often and how long basis exactly like zones for your block. 

Diagram 1