To De-clutter Your Day, Begin at Night
You run around juggling errands and tasks. You attempt to remember what needs to be done, only to remember what you forgot to do.
Then at day’s end, you find that time has gotten away from you, leaving you tired and frustrated because half of what you intended to do went undone.
What happened? Where did the time go and why are you so tired?
Because of all that running and juggling and remembering that only served to clutter up your day.
Most of us spend the first half of our day arranging details for what needs to be done; and the second half trying to actually fit those details into the time we have left.
But it doesn’t work, does it? So, how can you get a handle on your precious time?
The answer lies in one easy step. And when followed properly, it’ll de-clutter your day, eliminate confusion and give you precious time for you and your family. That one step is to:
Use a daily planning calendar, but plan your days at night
Place both your personal and professional tasks on your calendar. Then, before retiring each night, map out your plans for the next day.
Review appointments, parent-teacher conferences, special meal plans, errands; anything that will require your time the next day.
If any of tomorrow’s tasks involve family members, you can comfortably work out the details; and not while you're quickly gobbling down breakfast or as everyone is heading out the front door. And even if the kiddies or your significant other are already asleep while you are making your next-day calendar review; well you know what’s first on the list in the morning, right?
You’ll have time to choose and properly prepare your outfit for the next day, knowing it’s adequate for the events that will take place. And you’ll have time to find and fix necessary clothing repairs without rushing to do so before you leave home in the morning.
Instead of spending the first part of your day planning, you’ll now be able to use that time to execute your plans. You’ll awaken, knowing what you’re going to do and have everything in place to do it with.
The first month of the new year has come to an end. Most of us have probably made New Year's resolutions and maybe 1/4 have stayed with "our plans". However, I believe at the end of each month, each of us should take the time to see how much we have de-cluttered in order to have a more productive, and somewhat stress-free upcoming month.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice and the inspiration.
You are very welcome. You've definitely got the right idea. As long as you stay on top of things, they won't get too out-of-hand. Have fun de-cluttering!
ReplyDelete