This last quarter of the year perpetually proves to be the most chaotic of them all and I must stay organized and prep as much as I can personally and professionally. Here’s a few ways I stay organized and on top of shit in life the best I can:
Sunday Prep
Each Sunday, I open up my planner and turn it to a two week once I check and confirm everything I wrote down that needed to be done has indeed been taken care of. Then I reconcile my work and personal calendars and write down the appointments and most important meetings/events in the planner just so that I have visual look at my week. This way, I start Monday without anxiety because I know exactly what’s coming up.
Organize the Chaos
Everything from my laptop screen to my desk, I try to organize and leave in a good place by Friday afternoon. I like only two icons on my laptop screen and need to organize and file away the rest. I also go through my to-do list and move to a new page if needed, throw away papers and mail on my desk and in drawers. Things pile up each week!
Use Task Manager Tools
I’ve gotten into the great habit of using and updating Asana for all work projects. This has kept my calendar less cluttered with reminders and is super intuitive and easy to use. I find that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a project but if you break that project into all the tiny tasks it takes to complete it and assign tasks appropriately, and stay on top of deadlines, it makes life easier day to day to see what needs to be done to keep the trains rolling.
Start Each Day With Movement and Fresh Air
It’s easy to do this with dogs, but I start each morning getting outside for a dog walk. I like moving and getting some steps in as early as possible to set the day up for success. It just puts me in a positive mindset. I still need to get back into actual exercise, but a couple long dog walks a day has been great for me mentally.
Meal Prep
I also like to meal prep just one meal a week so that I have something for lunch and/or dinner especially on work-from-home days. I find that I eat healthier this way and I’m more efficient with my time. I make soups, chili and casseroles this season (see my Pinterest board for recipes!)
Schedule Down Time
As an introvert who needs a lot of alone time to recharge, I spend most weekdays after work with myself and the dogs. I need it more than ever right now and I don’t schedule over my plans of doing nothing. I also plan to block out more time in my schedule for projects so that I have set aside time where I can’t get scheduled for a meeting.
