I’ve found that some of the easiest things you can do to be organized often have the biggest impact to your daily life. Here are three simple things you can do right now to become more organized and reduce your stress:
- Make a “home” for your keys. Whether this is installing a hook on the wall in your mudroom or setting a bowl on a dresser near your door, create a spot where you can immediately store your keys when you come home. You’ll no longer waste time hunting for your keys when you need to get out the door.
- Take 15 minutes, once a week, to create a weekly meal plan. Also use this plan to make your weekly grocery shopping list. The best part is that you’ll no longer have to worry about what is for dinner after a long day of working.
- Get ready for bed an hour before you plan to go to bed. This increases the likelihood that your dirty clothes will land in the hamper, you can pull out your clothes for the next day, make sure the house is locked up and briefcases and backpacks are ready to go in the morning, and it signals to your brain that it’s time to get ready for sleep.
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I have been doing #’s 1 and 2 for years now and they make all the difference in the world. I can’t state enough how much menu planning can change your life for the better!
If you don’t want to take the time to make a meal plan yourself (or want to change up the repertoire) try Six O’Clock Scrabble (http://thescramble.com/). They do all the meal planning and shopping list assembly for you! I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! And they only do it for five days a week, so you have two days to do your own thing! (And now I’m not affiliated…I just love them that much!)
For someone who has does all of the above, I can’t tell you how much easier it makes the day. Every Sunday I write down in my calendar what my meals for the week (Mon-Thurs only; Friday we usually wing it)will be along with sides and the magazine and page number of any recipe I am pulling from a periodical. I always get my things ready for the next day before bed: gym bag, food to take to work, etc. Both of the above helps to bookend the day in a not so hectic manner.
I’ve always done #1, and should really start on 2 and 3. It would help if I made a plan for lunch too (it would be ideal if I brought lunch from home 3 times a week and only ate out 2 times a week, but generally the reverse is true). Any inspiration for sack lunches out there?
A few years ago I started making a weekly menu plan and it was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. No more anxiety at the end of the work day over what we’re going to have for supper. AND we save money by not eating out so often. I highly recommend it!