6 Easy Ways to Get Your Life in Order Today
Did you know that 72% of our daily stress is related to not having more structured routines in place?
Okay - I totally made that up, but it would kinda make sense, wouldn't it?
When I have a system and a structure in place for the daily things, it adds padding and a sense of both self-efficacy and security when things do go wrong.
The last thing you want to be worried about is where your keys are when you need to rush out the door, right?
In this post, I'm going to share with you 6 easy and super simple ways you can get your life in order today.
:: Cue the transformative montage music ::
1) Have a designated place for your keys
And no, your purse/backpack/travel bag is not a place. I say this with love, but purses can quickly turn into black holes of questionability.
I have an iPhone 6+ - its BIG and it still somehow gets swallowed up in my relatively average sized purse so fast that I've often spent 15 minutes running around the house looking for it.
Spoiler alert: The sneaky bastard is usually lying flat on the bottom of my purse under a pile of old receipts.
Designate a 4x4 inch space where your keys will always go. Put down duct tape if you have to, the more clear you are about EXACTLY where they need to go, the easier it will be to find them.
For me this has meant a special key holder right by the door or a specific spot on a table near the entrance.
And for goodness sake, be CONSISTENT putting them there RIGHT when you get home.
2) Do something for your morning self the night before
In a recent interview, I did with Katherine Korroll for her World Confidence Summit, I shared how we often battle between our night self and our morning self. The night self is a selfish son of a bitch and will do many many things for the sake of its own instant gratification (seriously, staying up till 1AM watching the Golden Girls isn't doing our 6AM wake-up time any favors). Although Rose really is charming.
A few things I like to do the night before:
:: Set the coffee to start 10 minutes before I wake up so the coffee is READY when my alarm goes off
:: Set out my workout clothes and remove any barriers to finding shoes, socks, etc to ensure I get my butt to the gym or out for a run
:: Pour yourself a bottle of water and set it on your nightstand so you can drink water first thing in the morning
These small acts of kindness toward yourself are like a little gift to your future, groggy, sometimes grumpy, morning self.
3) Use a notebook for notes, ideas, errands that need to get done, and anything else you’re worried about forgetting
Now everything is in one place, can easily go with you, and you won’t have to worry about loose papers or sticky notes flying around when the A/C comes on.
Learn more about how to setup your own organizational journal in my course here
4) Make your bed when you wake up
Seems like a simple thing, but having a made bed can actually boost your mindset, mood, and make you feel accomplished before you even get the day going. All of this can impact your day, making you feel in charge before you even step out the door.
5) Get clear on what you want your week to look like
Every Sunday night it can be nice to take a moment to breathe, ground yourself, and reflect on how the past week went along with how you want the week ahead to go.
A few questions to ask yourself are:
:: How do you want to FEEL?
:: What is the ONE thing you want to be consistent with?
:: What will you say NO to?
There are weeks when I feel my social side wanting to get out and other times when I need more quiet time. Knowing ahead of time that I'm going to want a quiet weekend allows me to more easily say no to invitations and gives me full permission to craft the kind of week I'll need to feel my best.
6) Add padding during transitional times of your day
One of the things I miss most about working in Seattle years ago was riding the double-decker every morning and evening. It allowed me to put a barrier between work and settling down at home.
It's easy to view commutes as a time for this but we don't always consider how adding space between other things can really serve us as well.
A few other ways to do this:
:: Go for a solo evening walk before coming back in to get things in order before bed
:: Give yourself 10 minutes when you get home to sit down, close your eyes, and transition into the evening
:: Light a candle or turn on some music after a long day
:: Schedule in time after a vacation to adjust back to normal life
:: Say something like "I need a moment to process that before I respond" when someone says something that catches you off guard
