Its funny that this blog was a request because I personally don’t think I’m very organized but I would say I have it together a little more than the average person, whatever that means. I run a business but I am operate with high function anxiety and depression so sometimes the littlest things can seem like big tasks!
Groceries/Cleaning
My week runs Monday-Sunday and Monday is my main day off. I often have to work on the fashion truck on Sundays so I usually get one day a week to pull my shit together before I am back to work. On Monday I usually don’t relax but I am really working on filling my Monday with fun things. Every single Monday I do the following things!
- Get groceries and plan meals for the week
- Get fresh flowers for the kitchen (usually from Trader Joes $5.99)
- Bake something for the house
- Do all laundry
- Vacuum and move all shoes of the stairs
- Take a hot bath and clean my bathroom before bed
Since Monday is my true day off I only have a little bit of time to get my life together and still have fun. I think that cleaning and cooking is great but I can only tolerate so much before I have a OCD moment and clean the entire house. When it comes to cleaning, I keep it simple! The number one thing I NEED to do on Monday is clean the stairway. The last thing I want, is to walk into my house and be overwhelmed with shoes and dead leaves that blow in from the door. I try to keep this nice and neat so when I come home, its a calm environment!
Getting groceries has turned into a simple task. Jake and I work opposite schedules so we don’t eat a lot at home together. I pack my lunch for work but Im currently not meal prepping and I again “keep it simple”. I try to cook dinner 3 nights a week, munch on leftovers when Jake isn’t home and then on Friday nights we eat out after his football games. So I do 1 date night meal we cook together, 1 crockpot meal, now that its fall, and then I’ll do something easy like a soup or baked tenderloin and steamed veggies. I personally love soup and salad so now that its fall, I’m 100% in my zone!
I eat the same things for lunches and Jake likes the same snacks so I can get groceries in under 30 minutes! It’s organizing the fridge and pantry that take forever. I love fresh flowers in the house and I get flowers pretty much every week at Trader Joes. They have really cheap bouquets and they make me happy so why not! If you’re feeling incomplete or trying to make your space more “homey” try fresh flowers. White, pink or orange are my picks!
MONEY
Another thing I do on Monday morning is organize all of my finances. I do this over morning coffee usually while Jake sleeps. It’s my moments of peace before my day begins. I do this everyday for the store but I do it on Monday mornings for my personal money/bills and finances. Here is how my list goes!
- Current Bank Balance
- Current Savings Balance (lol if any)
- A list of checks/bills/charges that are currently pending or coming out in the next 5 days
- A list of deposits coming in the next 5 days
- Credit card balances/payment due dates
Once you do this, you’ll see the cash you have on hand and plan accordingly. I get paid on the first and the fifteenth of each month so I have a list tucked away in a junk drawer of my expenses each month. I first list the bills from the 1st-14th of the month, things like: mortgage, student loans, allotted spending for groceries. Then I list out all of the things that need to be paid 15th-30th. Im a visual person, so it helps me “budget” when I know and see a number on paper that I am “allowed” to spend. I don’t really “need” a budget per-say but it makes me feel accomplished when I am “under budget”!!
Health/Fitness/Social
The last thing I do on Monday is plan my “social” calendar. I know my work schedule and when Jake will be home so when can I run errands this week, get my nails done, make a dentist appointment? I am THE WORST with calendars and I really don’t use them….EVER. If anything, I write out big work events for the month and plan from there. Like I said, I am visual and I need a pen and paper so I can use my phone calendar.
Once I know my meals and when Jake will be home type things, I can plan my gym sessions. I have been slacking on going to the gym and thats okay with me because I am just “going with the flow” right now and trying not to overwork myself. But I do know that if we are having date night and cooking pasta, we probably are not going to the gym so I need to work that in somewhere else!
TIPS
My schedule is very simple, it’s work that gets hectic. I am really trying not to overwork myself and find more time to do things I enjoy like decorating my house. It’s not a matter of finding time, it’s about finding a balance. A balance is not 50/50. If you skip the gym on a Tuesday to decorate for the fall season, GO FOR IT BOO! Because it’s going to make you happy, but don’t skip the gym for 3 months, thats just going to make you spiral.
DO NOT make to do lists before bed. If you’re type A(assuming you might be since you’re reading a blog about organization) do not make lists before bed. It just makes you anxious for the next day. Sometimes I am like “why wait, I can work on that now” and I don’t give myself time to relax. Just go to bed and make a list when you drink coffee in the morning and check your bank!
DO make a to do list. And ONLY list thing you can achieve that day. Put the most urgent things at the top so they are first priority. It can be easy to list the biggest tasks at the bottom, but then what are we really accomplishing?
DO NOT list unrealistic things on your list. Seriously, I have made lists like “get groceries, buy a car, paint the house, walk the dog”…Like okay Collette, let’s get real!!
DO use something to keep you on track. I have a calendar I use to see the “month” but every time I buy a planner I NEVER use the “day to day” pages. Personally I work better typing or writing out my “to do” lists for the day and then marking them off as the day goes on!!
I hope this blog was helpful or sparked some ideas and motivation!! I just want to remind ya to take baby steps. I am so harsh on myself and try to do so many things at once, I end up failing because I can expect myself to change my entire life overnight! Best of luck to you girl!
Leave a Reply