I have never been much for resolutions. No one ever seems to keep them, especially me. I am all about goals. Maybe there isn’t much of a difference, but if I make it a goal I tend to be better at making it happen. In order to make that goal happen, I must be organized, planful and the goal must be achievable.
I am a huge planner. I love to write things down and cross them off my list. I admit sometimes I even write things down after I have already done them just so I can cross it off. It makes me feel more accomplished and then I can really see what I have finished so far that day. It also helps me remember what I really need to do. No one wants to forget to send the kids to school with lunch money, but if I don’t write it down, it most likely will not happen! I find on the days I have a solid plan in place I get so much more done than on the days I tend to wing it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my down time and don’t like to have every minute of every day all planned out for me. Those days I find that even if I get the list that must be completed that day done right away in the morning, I have so much more time for whatever else I want to do. You have to find a schedule that works best for you and your family, maybe those tasks are done once the kids go to bed at night or during nap time. Once you find your groove, you will love it. I am so much more productive and feel better about my day.
I have a corner space in my home that I use for my office. I bought all of the pieces for my desk at Ikea! It’s great for the kids too because if they have earned screen time, they have to play here where we can keep an eye on them and monitor their time. It’s also a great place for homework!
Here are some tips that can help you stay on top of your day and get more done!
Use a planner to plan and schedule
- Identify what you want from a planner
- Find sample planners and try them out, you can print sample pages online!
- Do you need daily or weekly?
- What size do you want?
- Research planners before you buy- my favorites are Day Designer & Emily Ley
- Use fun planner stickers to make it cute and more fun! Michael’s has some great ones.
- Write every thing down that you need to do (the order does matter)
- Phone calls: doctor, dentist, school, etc.
- Daily tasks: house cleaning
- Business/work needs
- Errands/shopping
- Other tasks
- Things you WANT to do (workout, crochet, sew, read)
- Check social media
- Schedule your time and stick to it
- Set realistic goals/timelines
- Focus on one task at a time
- Keep the planner open and near you
- Write in everything that happens at a specific time: appts, meetings, other obligations, etc.
- Avoid distractions
- Schedule time to check social media. This is a time suck for so many.
- Return emails/phone calls/etc.
- Create a space of your own for getting things done
- Transform an unused room
- Un-utilized space; closet, understairs, etc.
- Corner of a room
- Make it your own
- Decorate
- Clean it up
- Make it somewhat private
- Make it a place you want to go
- Identify those time wasters and how to eliminate them
- I have found that wearing my Apple Watch versus always having my phone is a huge help. I get the important notifications and am not distracted by Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Turn on the radio instead of the TV
- Use technology to save you time
- Find apps to help with meal planning/grocery shopping. I like MealBoard!
- Use automatic bill pay through your bank so you don’t always have to pay bills
- Schedule shipments of regularly used items on Amazon to eliminate little trips to Target
- Does your washer have a timer setting? Use it! I love to throw a load in a night, set it to run at 6:00am so when I get up its ready to throw in the dryer!
I hope this helps you plan your days. I find that planing in advance (such as on Sundays) for the week and the night before for the next day helps me feel great in the morning. I already know what I will be doing and I can get going as soon as the kids get on that bus… after I drink my coffee of course!
Happy Planning!