This year has been a massive growing experience for me. Not only did things start taking off a lot more for this little blog; life took off. I accepted the role of President Elect for my local All Children's Hospital Guild and, subsequently, the chair of our black tie event and co-chair of our fashion luncheon. Business has also taken off and we have big goals with big rewards that take big work over the next year. The hubs is also working on a project that you will hear more about in October and that has really taken both his effort and my own... Along with a whole other massive team of people to make it happen.
That being said, I have had to redo a lot of my usual habits in order to get everything done and stop from going crazy in the process. When I accepted all these roles it really seemed like a nervous breakdown was inevitable. How could I do everything that was expected of me while still having time for family, friends, and all those little but vital things in life? Since May I have mentioned this fear to the hubs a few times. His response was that I have taken on A LOT more than I could usually handle and would either have to change how I do things or be ok with failure/massive stress/a breakdown. Don't you love people who tell it to you straight? I sure do!
Thankfully, that is not where his advice ended- that would be considered the worst thing ever. Below you will find what he recommended I do along with a few things that I have found work for my own life as well.
Make a Weekly, Duplicateable Schedule
Those who work at a job know that they have to get in at a certain time, leave at a certain time, and do a certain amount of work in between. Since my jobs this year will run the gambit of meetings with professionals to volunteering with injured dolphins, I needed something a bit more strategic and defined. This is where the hubs recommended that I make a weekly duplcateable schedule that will include all the areas I need to work at daily along with a few that are not needed all the time.
That is when I came up with this schedule that has me not working later than 7:00 PM and still has two days where I am able to relax- something vital for all of us. There may be some things on it that you don't quite get, but that's ok. The main idea is that I now have more time to spend with family and less stress while I am with them. This is because I know exactly what I have to do and when. Sure, life does not work out as pretty as this calendar, but having a round-about idea is way better that feeling my way around in the dark :)
Keep Your Space Clean... and Pretty!
No matter if it is a notebook or an office, I will not use it if it is not a) organized and b) at least a little pretty. As difficult as it can be, set aside time each week to organize your office and all those things you need in it. Computers, iPads, notebooks, calendars all of it should be kept clean. Because, let's face it, if the stuff we use is not organized, we probably are not either.
Make Graphs, Charts and Reminders- Whatever it Takes!
For me, an organized office also includes bills. I have an Evernote that is updated yearly for the next 12-months. This Evernote has each month along with each bill that is due that month and amounts we want to put into a savings account. Everything has the date due, a reminder set for the week prior to the due date, and a check mark denoting completion. This makes sure that a scatter brain like myself does not end up with late fees for one thing and payments three months ahead on another. It also takes mental energy away from having to worry about bills. When we let other things think of the details for us, it leaves our brain open for the really important stuff.
On That Note...
Finances are not the only thing that I need checklists to keep organized. I recently purchased a notebook for the sole purpose of listing all the must-do's of my day in. Yes, I have a calendar that I [now] update, but that was not enough. I am not going to put a calendar event for "clean the litterbox" or "call that one random person about that one random thing". But, if it is not written down it will either not be done, or I will stress over all the things I need to do that I forgot about. Bad. Instead, I make a list of all the things that must be done tomorrow, today. Then, my heart gets to feel as giddy as a two-year-old with a puppy when each thing begins to get checked off.
For all those that HATE making lists, I get you, completely. It is not my favorite thing either. What is my favorite thing is the lack of stress I have when I know that nothing is slipping through the cracks.
Do Everything with Intention
At the beginning of the year I saw nothing wrong with sitting down and binge watching Netflix or jumping into the internet's black holes for hours on end. It almost felt like I deserved it (gag). Well, once I realized how busy this year was going to be, I came to an understanding that this had to stop. It has been a messy process and one that is still ongoing, but being intentional with everything I do leaves me more time to do the things I really love. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals help make this happen and keep me on track. It is way harder to binge watch a season of a show when I know what I am working towards and why.
It may sound difficult, but I had to sit down and think about why I really do all the things I do and what was really helping me become the person I wanted to be. Then, I had to take out the things that lead me nowhere and replace them with productive and meaningful daily choices. Nighttime TV was replaced with reading. Online window shopping has become getting things done around the house and listening to things that make me a better person. Facebook/Instagram time has been pushed out and is becoming writing, playing with our cats, or spending time with the hubs.
There are a few other things that I would like to add to this list, but these are the top five that have helped me be more productive. Next week, I may take a closer look at one or two of them, especially the last one since it really is such a broad topic. Hehe, I am sure one or two of you rolled your eyes at the, "everything with intention" bit. I mean really, everything- should we all brush our teeth with intention? Well, let's talk about it next week.
For now, I hope these five things I am doing will help you as well. Or, that you are doing them already and find my list hilariously juvenile. If that is the case, please let me know what you are doing that helps you the most!
