I love when I am super organised. I have daily schedules, cleaning routines and most importantly I have an organised planner or two. While I love being organised sometimes all my plans just go out the window. Usually this happens when the kids are sick or more often than not projects take longer then expected.
When the routine goes out the window for a couple of weeks, productivity and motivation disappears as well. This makes it hard to get back into the swing of things. I know this all to well. I haven’t been anywhere near as organised as I would have hoped to be in the last couple of months. But I am going to get back on track.
Here is how I am going to do it
Admit that You Need A Routine
Step one will always be admitting that you need a routine. If you feel like you are accomplishing nothing from one day to the next, then you need one. You can not fix what you do not acknowledge. Once you admit that you need a routine you will be motivated to start creating one and wanting to stick to it.
Get your to-do’s down on paper
Once you have admitted you need a routine, it is time to get everything down on paper. Begin by writing down your daily, weekly and monthly tasks that need to be done. This can be cleaning tasks, business task or any other tasks that need to be done each month. The easiest way to work out you cleaning tasks is to write down what you do over a week or so. You might just notice that there is a pattern in the tasks and you have a little bit of a routine going already
Get a planner/organiser/calendar
Find a way of planning that works for you. Whether it id digital or a hardcopy, finding the right planner, organiser or colander will make having a routine much easier for you. I am a hard copy sort of person, I like writing and using washie tap. It might be because I am creative but that is what works for me. I colour code the kids events and appointments to make it visual easier to understand as well. The google calendar is also helpful because I can share events and plans with my partners and he can share his plans with me. This helps to make our routines more streamlined and understandable.
Schedule your regular activities first
Before you start writing down anything in whatever form of organiser you have chosen to use. You need to block out the times of those regular activities. That will be the school run, children’s activities, appointments, meal times and even your workout times. Once these times are blocked out you will be able to see what time you have left to fit cleaning tasks or any none regular events or meetings.
Allow extra time
Things don’t always run on time so allow extra time. I have learnt anything it is that things always take longer then they are supposed to. So when you are making your schedule for your routine try to allow yourself some extra time to complete those task. Allow travel times as well as waiting times. This way you are more than prepared when things don’t run smoothly and won’t fit yourself running late. When you are trying to get back into a routine that last thing you need is the pressure to complete what your need to without a breath or a chance to sit down for a coffee every once in a while.
Understand your strengths and weaknesses
Everyone has strong points and some weaknesses. Knowing where your weaknesses are means that you will be able to prepare for them and allow extra time. Mine has always been finding the time to get a workout in when I have kids to manage and a house to maintain. But by blocking out this time I can ensure that I stick to it. My strengths are being able to find the motivation to clean and knowing this I can allocate time to clean so I feel productive to carry on with the rest of the routine of the day. You play to your strengths to make your day flow smoothly while not forcing yourself to spend focusing on your weaknesses. It is about finding a balance of good and back to make an effective routine that you can follow.
Be realistic
Making a routine and getting it down on paper can be the easy part. Sticking to it, however can be the harder part. Being realist is important when you are trying to create a routine you can stick to. You can not jam pack a routine with what you want to do everyday. Instead you need to create a routine of what you can achieve everyday. Understanding your limitations will help you keep the motivation going and a routine stick for more than just a week.
The key to making to manageable. You don’t have to try and control everything for the entire month. You can always start with a couple of days or a week. Once you start get find something that is working then start planning further ahead. Maintain motivation to change and keep the routine going will always be the hardest part, but after a couple of weeks in things should start getting easier.
Take manageable bits rather than a whole mouthful and don’t give up.
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