Quick Routines To Make Us More Productive
This post is Day #14 in the 31 Days to a Better Work + Life Balance series.
Since my little guy has autism, our family thrives on routine. He gets stressed out or confused if we do things out of order so I try to work routines in as much as possible so he can prepare for what's coming next. I think the rest of us are so used to the structure now that we've come to depend on them too. Here are just a few things I do daily to stay productive and make our house a little more restful...
Maximize MY Mornings
Ever since I read though this ebook about a year ago, my mornings have made such a big difference. (It's free and a super quick read so go get it and then come back:)) The main point being that actually getting out of bed and using your mornings can be such a game changer. I love sleep as much as the next girl. But I really love that by the time my kids wake up, I've already spent an hour or two to myself. It also helps me to meet with my Coach and find out His plan for the day. I try to have kids stay in bed or room playing until set "wake-up" time.
My routine: Make husband's lunch and eat breakfast together before he leaves, Move to cozy chair with blanket and headphones (to keep me awake), Read Bible, Plan the day, Basic social media and emails.
Time My Social Media
When I first started doing this, I'd put a timer on for 20 min for each account: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and also Email. I thought that would be plenty of time since I'm not really motivated to get on it most days. But that first week, I went over the limit every time. Once you login, it's hard not to get distracted and waste the whole day! I wanted to utilize it for my business though, so I pushed myself to plan posts on the weekends and get faster each day. Now I spend about 30 minutes total and schedule as much as possible so I don't need to check in much throughout the day. I usually only get to the really important emails, but I like knowing the fires are out early.
My routine: Schedule a few posts on Facebook and Twitter, Pin to main boards, Get a few photos ready for Instagram, Check for email "emergencies"
Go Hour
I know I've talked a little about this in previous posts, but I love this one. Go hour is what I do to get ready and get my house in shape each day. I call it go hour but it usually takes more like 30 min if I'm fast.
My Morning Go: Make bed, Simple hair/makeup, Get kids and I dressed, Toss in laundry, Kids Eat while I ready bags/backpacks, Clear breakfast dishes/start dishwasher, Wipe down bathroom, Open blinds
My Afternoon Go: Kids and I pick up toys, Clear/wipe surfaces, Touch up makeup, Change laundry, Prep dinner, Sweep
Just having a step by step list on the clock helps me so much to get a lot done in a short amount of time. So I can focus on work, family or rest easier knowing this is done.
Doing The Basics
It's so easy to get overwhelmed when you have a lot of jobs on your plate and limited time. So one thing I've put into practice is to just do the basics.
This is more of a habit than a routine, but I do the basics knowing I can come back to them later.
Example... In my Go Mornings, I always do the most simple hair makeup and outfits to be presentable. Later in the day I might add accessories or more layers of makeup but just doing the basics means I'm at least a little put together every day.
You can always go back and do a deeper clean, a more thorough blog post or find better things to share on social media. We can get stuck on perfection and then end up not having time left for a lot of other areas.
What routines/habits do you have that keep you productive everyday?
