With the holidays up ahead, it could get a lot hectic trying to keep up with the demands of our personal and professional lives. At the end of the day, all any of us would want is to enjoy our days off and spend them having fun, and relaxing with our loved ones.
And for us to fulfill our wants, we should do a little compromising with one of our greatest frenemies: time management.
I’ve been from one of the spectra of the ultimate procrastinator to the other end of actually being on time, and sometimes, ahead of schedule. Achieving the latter took a lot of discipline and breaking habits, one of them is using my phone the first thing in the morning, besides turning off the alarm.
I have tried various ways that would help me keep track of everything I have to do, and the four below have personally done a great job of doing so.
Also, the featured image was photographed by a good friend of mine.
Keeping up with the Season
USE A PLANNER
For my returning readers, you have seen planners mentioned a lot, and that’s because they truly are one of the best ways to make life easier and more organized.
I started off with a yearly planner back in high school to keep track of assignments, due dates, presentations, birthdays, holidays, etc. This year, having been accustomed to planners, I switched to creating my own through bullet journaling, wherein I have more control over the things I want to keep track of and change the look and feel of each month to feed my creativity.
This Fall season, planners are great for individuals and families alike. They’ve surely helped me stay organized with the hecticness of daily routines and reminders of holidays, birthdays, scheduled meetings and events, grocery (and gift) shopping, to-do lists, finance and budget trackers, etc. They are also great for relaxing the mind and emotions during the serenity of evenings with daily gratitude, mood trackers, habit trackers, and releasing thoughts and feelings I’ve had throughout the day.
I also double my planners, meaning that most of what I have written on paper is inputted digitally on my Google Calendar and Keep Notes as well. If I ever forget my planner at home or misplace it, I remain comforted knowing that I still have access to information I need on my phone or tablet as the information can be synced through multiple devices with just my one Gmail account.
Google Calendars are amazing for reminders, routines/tasks, and schedules. Notifications can be set to pop up ahead of time. Keep Notes greatly helps with inputting grocery lists, expenses, recipes, and other important quick notes on the go.
Schedule Weekly Meal Plans
Meal planning used to be so troublesome for me, but now I find it’s been a lifesaver. One of the biggest advantages of meal planning is being comforted that I have something to eat any time of day throughout the week.
My meal planning is kind of different than the usual ones – I meal plan in my head. It’s rare for me to actually write down what I’ll be having for the week. The only things I do write and take note of are the ingredients I’d need in case I plan on cooking heavy recipes throughout the week.
For the guidance of this post, this is what my mental meal planning would look like on paper:
Step 1: Review my schedule. By doing this, I get an idea as to what recipes I’ll be able to prepare for the week.
Step 2: Look at the pantry to identify what ingredients I already have available to see if I can cook food that includes them.
Step 3: List down current food cravings and possible substitutes. I can focus on the foods that I know I’ll eat for the week without getting tired of eating the same things each day.
Step 4: Categorize the food into categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks (typically fruits). At least three options for breakfast, two for lunch, two for dinner, and three for snacks.
Step 5: Plan for a couple of days with meals that do not include rice and meat.
Step 6: Avoid meals with special ingredients, especially if I rarely or don’t have the time to cook them more than once.
Step 7: List down ingredients that are not already in my pantry and compare the quantity each ingredient is often packaged in, to the number of days they are estimated to last. This helps me identify how much I need to get that will be enough to last me for a week.
Step 8: Shop for the ingredients.
Step 9: Cook, eat, and satisfy my tummy.
Step 10: Take advantage of leftovers. I’d cook my breakfast and lunch meals on the day, a couple of hours before, I’d eat them. I’d have one dinner meal prepared on the same day as getting the groceries. My dinner meals averagely last 2-4 nights. Sometimes, when there are leftovers from breakfast, I’d finish them during lunch. And if there are leftovers for lunch, I’d finish them during dinner. If I want to finish my dinner meal to begin cooking a new dish, I’d eat that for breakfast the next day.
Set Up Monthly Overviews
Calendars have been a great help in setting up my monthly overview. Monthly overviews allow me to look at my weekly tasks and helps minimize any double trips to the stores and stay on top of the things needed to get done.
When I look at my monthly overview, I see deadlines, such as billings and blog post dates; schedules, such as trips to the dentist and phone call meetings; and general errands, such as laundry and grocery shopping. Specific tasks, such as the deadlines and meetings are placed on their assigned dates. Whereas other general errands are mostly placed on the same day(s) each week, such as laundry being done every Wednesday.
For the most part, my overall schedule revolves around those that have already been set by those needing appointments, as I deem them with utmost importance. Next, I focus on my career tasks, which may sometimes include refreshing activities, such as lunch with a friend. Personal errands, such as gift shopping, typically comes last, unless something comes up.
During the Fall season, monthly overviews are also great for keeping track of social gatherings, pumpkin/apple-picking dates, store sales for gift shopping, local events, trips, and other to-do lists.
REFRESH HOME
Another seemingly easy way to get things done is when clothes, appliances, utensils, and other household items are organized, and well, refreshed.
Last season’s, and other unused, belongings are tidied up in storage containers or found a new home, sheets and curtains are themed to the upcoming holiday or season; windows, temperature systems, and cars are geared up for the cooler weather; cabinets, the fridge, and closets are cleared out of the dust, expired items, and replaced with fresher, in seasoned products. The home is brushed, mopped, vacuumed, wiped, and enveloped in Autumn scents.
Giving my home the refreshment it needs is like reenergizing myself and welcoming a brand-new chapter of my life. It provides a sense of accomplishment and euphoria.
Let's Chat!
How do you stay organized during the holiday season?
