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"My Top 5 Tips for Staying Organized..."
Last week was 'National Organizing Week'...Mama, how did you do? It was a struggle for my clan...
Every year around this time I find that the organization and good habits of September lie waste amongst the tiredness of October. With the weather turning to gloom, pressures mounting at work and school, sports seasons in full swing, 5 people going 5 different directions, add in some halloween costume prep, and thoughts of the impending Christmas season....we're all TIRED!
If all of that wasn't enough, my mister is heading out of town to work for an extended period so this past weekend we took a quick trip stateside to visit family, making this mornings wake up a struggle.... and because we were away groceries have not been bought, lunches have not been made, theres no plan in place for this week...
So without further adieu, my top 5 tips for keeping it together in spite of the chaos....
1. Have a (Meal) Plan.
Although I would like to be one of those women that have a rotating meal plan for the month and only buy what's on their list, therefore saving money and time, I am not there yet. However, I am a firm believer of having a plan, meal or otherwise. As the old saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"! I've never gotten anywhere without a plan...not anywhere good anyhow!
Every night I try to make a plan for the following day. Any calls I need to make or errands I need to run get listed in my planner. I also add the telephone numbers and a note about why I am calling so I can get right to it in the morning. I also spend some time on Sundays and try to plan my weekly meals and lunches. I make the lunches for all 3 kids on Sunday evening. I give them 5 baskets each and they fill them with the extras while I make the main courses. We then store the baskets in the fridge and then all we do in the morning is dump the basket into the lunch kit and go. Making lunches is one less task we have to find time for in an already busy morning.
2. Set Micro Goals/Reward Yourself.
If/when..leads to Then. If I am able to complete this (washing the floor/doing dishes/cleaning the bathroom) task then I will reward myself with 15 minutes of (surfing the net, reading my novel, colouring, great cup of coffee) this reward. This works on a very fundamental level. No-one wants to do chores constantly and we all need to be rewarded for a job well done! Most people are not going to notice the work you do in your own home so be nice to yourself. Recognize your contribution and reward it!
3.Take Care of You.
I cannot stress this enough. I find when I get busy that I am the first thing I neglect. Have a schedule and stick to it. Workout. Shower. Do your hair and for goodness sakes, get dressed!!! It makes a huge difference in your physche and your outlook on life. Too often we are caught up in doing for everyone around us and doing what needs to be done because we believe no-one else will do it, or will not do it to our standards. We leave so little time for ourselves and often we can get stuck in the role of martyr and building resentment.... resenting the fact that we don't have time for ourselves. Make it Girlfriend! You can't pour from an empty cup...besides when your family sees you taking care of yourself it forces them to recognize that you also have needs and interests.
4.Enlist the LIST and Ask for/Use help.
With so much on our plates it is so easy to forget things, such as returning that fieldtrip form and now your daughter can't go and will be mad at you until she's 23! Make a list, use an agenda, a planner, a notebook or something. List today's date and all of the things you need to accomplish...if you miss a few items today, its ok...they are written down. Just go back and do them tomorrow. At least once they are written they are less likely to be forgotten.
Using help....often times we ask for help and it goes unheard or unfulfilled. I have yet to solve this problem, but what I do know is that there is a lot of outside help we have, or can gain access too, that will add time to our days, such as grocery shopping services. They are very economical and can even save you money because they eliminate impulse buying.
And if you can afford it, having a housekeeper come in has been a godsend on more than one occasion for me. I cannot afford it regularly but every once in a while, when I get behind, I have someone come in and do a good clean for a few hours. It is great because it's much easier for me to keep on top of it with a few minutes of work a day, then it is for me to find the hours required to do a deep clean myself.
5. Take Time for Fun
Life is not meant to be a marathon where we are supposed to clean, pay bills, and then die. For goodness sakes have some fun! Your family may not be able to afford tropical vacations, or extravagant holidays and you don't need to! Carve pumpkins, pose a trivia question at dinner, walk the dog together,plan a movie night...anything that gets you talking and connecting together. And if holiday decorating is fun for you, SCHEDULE it in your planner. Make it an event! Take the day....get some goodies to munch on, some great coffee or cider, and enjoy yourself. And don't forget to keep your kids home from school to take part if they want...without worry! They'll catch up, and the memories you make will last a lifetime!
Every year around this time I find that the organization and good habits of September lie waste amongst the tiredness of October. With the weather turning to gloom, pressures mounting at work and school, sports seasons in full swing, 5 people going 5 different directions, add in some halloween costume prep, and thoughts of the impending Christmas season....we're all TIRED!
If all of that wasn't enough, my mister is heading out of town to work for an extended period so this past weekend we took a quick trip stateside to visit family, making this mornings wake up a struggle.... and because we were away groceries have not been bought, lunches have not been made, theres no plan in place for this week...
So without further adieu, my top 5 tips for keeping it together in spite of the chaos....
1. Have a (Meal) Plan.
Although I would like to be one of those women that have a rotating meal plan for the month and only buy what's on their list, therefore saving money and time, I am not there yet. However, I am a firm believer of having a plan, meal or otherwise. As the old saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"! I've never gotten anywhere without a plan...not anywhere good anyhow!
Every night I try to make a plan for the following day. Any calls I need to make or errands I need to run get listed in my planner. I also add the telephone numbers and a note about why I am calling so I can get right to it in the morning. I also spend some time on Sundays and try to plan my weekly meals and lunches. I make the lunches for all 3 kids on Sunday evening. I give them 5 baskets each and they fill them with the extras while I make the main courses. We then store the baskets in the fridge and then all we do in the morning is dump the basket into the lunch kit and go. Making lunches is one less task we have to find time for in an already busy morning.
2. Set Micro Goals/Reward Yourself.
If/when..leads to Then. If I am able to complete this (washing the floor/doing dishes/cleaning the bathroom) task then I will reward myself with 15 minutes of (surfing the net, reading my novel, colouring, great cup of coffee) this reward. This works on a very fundamental level. No-one wants to do chores constantly and we all need to be rewarded for a job well done! Most people are not going to notice the work you do in your own home so be nice to yourself. Recognize your contribution and reward it!
3.Take Care of You.
I cannot stress this enough. I find when I get busy that I am the first thing I neglect. Have a schedule and stick to it. Workout. Shower. Do your hair and for goodness sakes, get dressed!!! It makes a huge difference in your physche and your outlook on life. Too often we are caught up in doing for everyone around us and doing what needs to be done because we believe no-one else will do it, or will not do it to our standards. We leave so little time for ourselves and often we can get stuck in the role of martyr and building resentment.... resenting the fact that we don't have time for ourselves. Make it Girlfriend! You can't pour from an empty cup...besides when your family sees you taking care of yourself it forces them to recognize that you also have needs and interests.
4.Enlist the LIST and Ask for/Use help.
With so much on our plates it is so easy to forget things, such as returning that fieldtrip form and now your daughter can't go and will be mad at you until she's 23! Make a list, use an agenda, a planner, a notebook or something. List today's date and all of the things you need to accomplish...if you miss a few items today, its ok...they are written down. Just go back and do them tomorrow. At least once they are written they are less likely to be forgotten.
Using help....often times we ask for help and it goes unheard or unfulfilled. I have yet to solve this problem, but what I do know is that there is a lot of outside help we have, or can gain access too, that will add time to our days, such as grocery shopping services. They are very economical and can even save you money because they eliminate impulse buying.
And if you can afford it, having a housekeeper come in has been a godsend on more than one occasion for me. I cannot afford it regularly but every once in a while, when I get behind, I have someone come in and do a good clean for a few hours. It is great because it's much easier for me to keep on top of it with a few minutes of work a day, then it is for me to find the hours required to do a deep clean myself.
5. Take Time for Fun
Life is not meant to be a marathon where we are supposed to clean, pay bills, and then die. For goodness sakes have some fun! Your family may not be able to afford tropical vacations, or extravagant holidays and you don't need to! Carve pumpkins, pose a trivia question at dinner, walk the dog together,plan a movie night...anything that gets you talking and connecting together. And if holiday decorating is fun for you, SCHEDULE it in your planner. Make it an event! Take the day....get some goodies to munch on, some great coffee or cider, and enjoy yourself. And don't forget to keep your kids home from school to take part if they want...without worry! They'll catch up, and the memories you make will last a lifetime!
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