Life can get really hectic, busy, and overwhelming. We sometimes feel like we’re always trying to “catch up”. We want to do everything and can’t get it done fast enough. That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling lately.
I definitely get a little too ambitious with what I want to accomplish each day. Sometimes it’s not realistic. Sometimes I just get distracted with other things that aren’t important, but they sure seem like ‘fun’ at the time, such as when I’m out grocery shopping and stop into a clothing store because I get easily distracted by “shiny things”. Then, all of a sudden, I’ve wasted my whole day and, oops, didn’t even get groceries yet. (Yes, I write about being organized, but I’m still human, and I love “shiny things”.)
So, anyway, I decided I needed to do a better job at staying focused. I needed to do a better job on getting things done that are important to me. But, how could I do that when I’m already feeling behind on everything? I decided I needed a fresh start! So, here is how I’m doing my fresh start:
Set A Date To Start Your “Fresh Start”.
- Start at the beginning of a month or beginning of a week. I’m starting with April because that’s when spring starts, and it just feels like a great time to freshen up schedules, closets, yards, exercise routines, etc.
- Decide what you need to change or improve.
Plan Your “Fresh Start” the day before.
- Write out your new plan and schedule. Think about situations that threw you off schedule, and plan a better way to deal with them. Try “scheduling” your distractions to help you stay focused. For example, I’m scheduling a day to do my clothes shopping. That way, I can focus on what I need to do, knowing that I will get time to shop for clothes at a better time.
- Write everything you need to accomplish throughout the week, in priority order. Then write everything you want to do for fun, knowing that if you want to find time for them, they need to be on the schedule.
- Decide which day you will do each item on your list. Pace your tasks evenly throughout the week so everything gets done and you know which day you’ll be doing which task.
- Save one day (for me it’s usually Saturday) to finish up the week’s list. Make this a “catch-up” day only.
- Prioritize your list and make sure important things get done early!
Start Your “Fresh Start”
- Start on time! Start early! A fresh start means an early start.
- Grab your coffee and start with a short planning time. Look at your to-do list for the day and how much time you need for each item. Write out your schedule for the day, plugging in your to-do items and when you’ll do each one.
- Get a good start by finishing your morning miscellaneous, “get ready” routine by a certain time and starting your to-do list by a certain time.
- Start your to-do list by prioritizing and doing most important things first. Those usually take the most time, and you’ll feel better about your day if you at least get those things done. Don’t be tempted to do trivial things first just because they’re fast and easy to check off the list.
- If you feel like you’re falling behind and it’s only noon, then do a short lunch and move on! Think of your day in blocks of time. You still have a full afternoon to finish.
- Try to finish up your most important tasks one hour before the end of the day. Sometimes the things on our list take longer than we think, and it’s best to allow a cushion of time at the end of the day, so you feel calm, relaxed, and feel good about your day.
The major keys to getting control of your life and your week are to:
- Stop and plan
- Pace yourself
- Focus on one task at a time
Remember, this is life. Things happen. Just relax, adjust your schedule, and start again tomorrow!