Hi mamas! How has your January been so far? We are finally all feeling back to normal and getting back into the groove of our usual routines. In my last post, I showed you how to set up your yearly calendar and get organized with big-picture planning. Today, I want to show you how I get organized on a daily basis, and how to plan ahead to have a more organized week.
How to Organize Your Day
In my post about how to maintain your sanity as a busy mom, I talk about the importance of having a structure for your day. By that I mean creating a schedule based on the things you need to get done during the day (work, school pickup, etc.) and building in time for the things that you want to get done during the day (like exercise, meditation, etc.).
First off, if you have a job or volunteer work, those hours are pretty set and the time you are at work (or working from home) is non-negotiable. The same goes for school drop-off and pick-up, any classes you might be taking, group meetings, kids sports/activities, etc.
The time in between is where you have some flexibility. Think about those things that need to get done every day or on a weekly basis: laundry, tidying up the house, making dinner, packing lunches, etc. Then, think about those things that you would really like to make time for: exercise, Bible study, reading a book, taking a class, coffee date with a friend, etc. Next, think about where you can start plugging in time to get those things done in your daily schedule.
For instance, could you maybe wake up a half hour earlier to fit in exercise or a walk? Or maybe do some journaling and meditation? If you have a young one at home, could you fit in some exercise or self care during naps? Or maybe get some walking or jogging in with baby in the stroller? Maybe the evenings work better for you? Could you fit in a yoga session after dinner while the kids have some down time? Maybe read for a half hour after they go to bed?
Whatever your priorities are, think about how you can realistically fit them into your schedule. Then, write it down! Until you really start to create some consistency around your schedule, you’ll want to write it down to remind yourself when to do things so you don’t forget.
Create Mini-Routines
Another helpful way to create consistency is to build in little mini-routines throughout your day. For instance, maybe you already have a routine in the morning of brushing teeth, getting dressed, and making coffee/breakfast. Now, however, maybe you could add some things in to the routine that incorporate some of your wants or that would make the day more productive:
- Wake up
- Make bed
- Exercise
- Brush teeth
- Get dressed
- Make coffee
- Put in a load of laundry
- Make breakfast
This is just an example, of course. Maybe instead of exercise it’s meditation and journaling. Maybe it’s walking the dog. Or instead of laundry it’s unloading the dishwasher. The point is that if we create these little mini routines and stick with them, they become a habit. And once they become habit, we start doing them on auto-pilot without even having to think about it or waste time spinning our wheels about what we should do next.
Same as with the morning, you could also create an evening routine to help you check off your daily tasks and prep for the next day. For example:
- Start a load of laundry
- Make dinner
- Free time for reading/exercise/time with kids
- Put away laundry
- Make lunches while kids brush teeth and get PJ’s on
- Kids to bed
- Me time: favorite TV show, read a book, bubble bath
Have a Weekly Plan
Besides filling in your monthly calendar, it’s super helpful to have a weekly plan so you can stay on top of daily appointments and events. I have a personal planner that I use to keep track of daily/weekly appointments and it is a lifesaver for helping me to stay organized!
Usually, I spend a few minutes on Sunday night or Monday morning to look at my monthly calendar and then fill in any upcoming appointments, activities or events into my weekly planner. And to help you stick with your newly created daily schedule, you might want to write that into your weekly calendar too. (Tip: It’s also helpful to glance at the following week to see if there are any things like upcoming birthdays, weddings, etc. that might require a little extra planning time.)
Now you have an easy-to-reference plan for the week ahead to help you keep track of everything day by day. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I don’t usually write in things like haircuts, nail appointments, or personal doctor’s appointments on the large wall calendar, so my personal planner is my Bible. I keep track of everything in there and make sure to include those appointments in my weekly schedule. (*It’s also a good idea to input them in your phone calendar too so you can reference it when on the go.)
Speaking of phones, I know there are phone calendars and apps out there that can do this for you digitally, but for me, having a piece of paper staring back at me is the best way for me to stay on top of things. Keeping it on a desk, countertop, or on the fridge is a great way to make sure you will be able to see it and reference it often.
If you don’t have a planner, here’s a FREE weekly calendar printable that you can use! I made it in different formats so you can use the one that works best for you. Just fill in the form below for an instant download. 🙂
Plan Your Meals
Lastly, one of the most important things you can do to be organized for the week–and minimize headaches–is to have a meal plan. Planning 3-4 meals ahead of time means you won’t be stressing at the last minute to figure out what to make for dinner. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy (tacos and pasta are on heavy rotation at our house), but by deciding on a menu ahead of time and prepping with grocery shopping, you will save yourself the mental strain and stress of figuring it out on the fly. And, it usually means you will eat healthier too as you are less likely to resort to going out to eat. If you want some quick and easy (like ridiculously easy) meal ideas, check out this post. And, for a free weekly meal planner you can print out and start using asap, click here!
Let’s Do This!
I hope this inspires you to get a little more organized and ready to face the year ahead! I’d love to hear if you found any of these ideas to be particularly helpful. Or, if you have any tips/tricks for staying on top of “all the mom things,” please share!
With love,
Liz