If you have attended one of my workshops on organizing, then you have found the right blog post! If you haven’t attended one of my workshops, well….you missed out! Only kidding….sorta!
Actually, if you missed the workshop, you will now get all of the information in this blog post and more! I would, however, encourage you to find the upcoming ones by emailing me HERE. There is just something about being able to see things and get feedback from others that really is just better!
In this post, I will help you START the process of figuring out what in your life you need to organize first and then begin!
WARNING: This is a lengthy post but read until the end! You won’t regret it!
1. Figure out your ideal schedule
I read this amazing book, Saving Super Mom (if you are a mom, you should totally check it out). You can find my review on this book, HERE. She has so many helpful pieces of information in this book, and it is short, because if you are like me, you don’t have time to read a long book! The most helpful thing she said was to create your ideal week and then start working towards it.
So….here’s the deal: You need to actually do this! You can print this template below.
Print out 5 of them. You will need to use 1 page to write out how many minutes/hours you want to spend doing certain things.
Then you need to record what your day and weeks ACTUALLY end up being for 4 weeks. I know….it seems like a lot. But, you aren’t going to all of sudden change your days around in 1 week, it does take time but this will hold you accountable to it.
This is where you will realize what things are sucking up your time. Some things you may not be able to change like work hours but other things you might like time preparing meals or getting everyone ready in the mornings.
Once you figure out what you can cut down on, then search my blog and find some quick fixes for things! Another option is that you can email me directly and I can send you some helpful hints! That is what I am here for!
2. Find a Planner that works for you
Now that you know what your days, weeks, and months should look like, you need a good way to organize them. So, the next thing to do is to find a planner that works for you. Some of you reading this are like…of course you would say that! Every other blog says the exact same thing! Imagine that 🙂 If you are constantly reading that the best way to get your life organized is to have a planner….well…maybe you should listen!
Now, this looks different for different people! My planner would overwhelm most people but make others want to go and buy the exact same one. The whole point is to find what works best for you.
I HAVE to have a daily spread in my planner. This took years and many planners later for me to realize this.
For everyone, I recommend a planner with a monthly spread and then either a daily or weekly option. You can start at the dollar store and buy one there and see if it works. Also, ask your friends or coworkers what kind of planner they use and ask to see it. You can learn so much just by looking at the planner. Don’t just buy a planner because it is pretty or expensive!
**Update – I no longer use a planner but an amazing app that helps me stay organized. You can read out it HERE
3. Monthly Prep
You have your planner, but now what?
At the end of every month, I sit down for about 1 hour on a Saturday and plan the next month. Yes, I know that it sounds like a lot of time, but it is well worth it! I usually do this during nap time…well…my kids’ nap time that is!
Here are things I have on hand:
My Planner (of course)
My phone
My cookbooks
My meal plan sheets
I first go through and make sure all appointments and activities that I have in my phone are on my calendar and vice versa. I have found that I usually put them on one but not the other.
The second thing I do is figure out what meals I currently have in our freezer and I hope and pray that I don’t have to make any this month 🙂 If I have enough meals, I simply fill them in on my meal planning sheet and call it a day! But most months, I need to supplement or some months, I have to start all over.
On those months, I look through my cookbooks and/or my recipes on Evernote and figure out what meals I want to fix in ONE DAY.
NOTE: I hate cooking! I know, I am probably committing some kind of mom/wife sin by saying that but I hate it. It takes up too much of my time and I cannot multitask while doing it so I just don’t like it! With that being said, I have figured out a way to only really cook once a month or two and that has saved me so much time and sanity! See more on my Once a Month Cooking HERE.
After I figure out meals, I put together the ingredients list and then schedule a day for grocery shopping (aka Kroger Clicklist!!) and then what day I am going to cook. I do schedule a full day to do the cooking. This takes scheduling with my husband and the kids to make sure I get time to be able to do this. It is much easier to do when I don’t have a toddler at my feet!
Now my appointments are planned, my families activities are planned, my meals are planned…. I feel good!!!
4. Weekly Prep
Now my weekly prep looks very much like my monthly one except that it does not take that long (usually about 15 minutes or so). Every week (usually on Saturdays for me since my work week starts on Sundays), I sit down with these things:
Phone
Planner
Pens
Meal Planning Sheets that I completed at the beginning of the month
Fun stickers if I’m in the mood.
I first make sure all appointments that I have on my phone are also in my planner and vice versa. I find my meal plan sheet for this week and make sure that I have everything I need grocery wise (usually I have to go to the store for sides or milk or fresh produce). I schedule when I will make a trip to the store.
I also take this time to make my cleaning schedule and laundry schedule. Every week is different for me so I plan things out around my schedule.
Here is a list of other things I do weekly:
– Clean out my car
– Clean out my purse and work bag
– Pack bags for the week (my daughter does gymnastics twice a week so I have a bag that is packed with 2 leotards, hair bands, hair spray, flip flops, and snacks)
– Diaper bag replenished (I always keep this in the car with pull-ups, wipes, and a sippy cup just in case we end up going somewhere right after work)
– Lay out clothes for the kids and myself for the entire week
– Meal prep for the week. See more about my weekly meal prep HERE.
I really hope you read all the way to here! Do not be overwhelmed with this list.
Start small.
Get a planner (or an app).
Start planning your days….stop letting your days control you!
