Working full time, being a mum, wife and running the household in a calm and organised manner has its challenges. I have learnt over time that the key to success is being organised and disciplined.
As Jocko Willink says “Discipline equals freedom.” What does freedom mean to you? To me, freedom is doing the things I want when I want as well as a free and clear mind so that I can be present in the moment as opposed to thinking about what I need to do.
We are all human and at times it won’t go as planned however being consistent and disciplined the majority of the time will make life structured, enjoyable and easier to manage. As Buddha says “a disciplined mind brings happiness.”
Here are 5 tips to help you stay organised while working full-time.
1. Plan your Meals Weekly
On a weekly basis, my husband and I plan our meals against our calendar. For example, if we have a dinner outing one day I will cross that day off as dinner is not required. Based on the meal plan my husband will do shopping for the week.
For us dinners are kept basic, every Tuesday is Mexican (chicken or beef), Thursday roast, sweet potatoes wedges and a salad and every Friday is fish, rice and salad.
My goal is to make sure that we eat healthily and is quick and easy to make.
For a detailed guide to my weekly meal plan preparation check out the post Remove Family Meal Plan Headaches in 3 Easy Steps and download my meal planner template below.
2. Clear Family Weekly Schedule
I have a schedule of weekly re-occurring activities so the whole family can see them. This includes work, school, kid’s extracurricular activities, my and my husband’s exercise times, Special Time with my children and so forth.
I write it up on a weekly whiteboard I purchased from K-mart which is easy to maintain if something changes.
The whiteboard ensures that everyone knows what is happening and makes planning for other activities and commitments easy and straightforward.
3. Plan a Month Ahead
At the start of the month, I print from Calendarpedia a monthly calendar and write out all events and activities we have for the month (generally once off events). I stick this calendar on the kitchen cupboard for the family to see.
Examples of what I include in the calendar are birthdays, school activities, baby showers, etc. I also look to schedule all the events that I want to do that are important such as dates with the husband and kids, family outings and so on. As Michael Hyatt says “What get’s scheduled gets done”.
I maintain an online Google calendar which I refer to making the process quicker.
Then I write a list of everything I need to prepare for the events. Some examples of preparation include:
- Organising cards and gifts – I create a list of cards and gifts that I need to purchase, head to the shops to purchase them all at once, then write the cards and wrap the gifts all in one sitting usually with the kids helping out.
- Prepare outfit requirements such as for weddings or fancier events. I ensure we all have the appropriate clothes outfit and shoes that still fit and are suitable.
- Other general items – this includes when the kids start school I check that their uniform is labelled, they have all the required supplies (ready and labelled) or if they are playing a sport that I have all the sporting clothes ready for them.
Being organised means on the day I am not stressing and running around last minute.
4. Outsource
This one has really helped improve my overall quality of life. I now look at tasks and things that I can pass on to others to do and manage. This provides me extra time to spend with the family, to concentrate on what I love (such as helping people worldwide build their empires and create the life they want and deserve by being who they are) and also most importantly finding time for myself.
Some items that I outsource are:
Cleaning – I have a cleaner that comes once a week to clean and help out around the house. In addition to general cleaning such as bathrooms, vacuuming and dusting our cleaner helps out with other tasks such as hanging washing, changing bed sheets, ironing and anything else that needs doing around the house.
Driving to & from Children’s Activities – We live close enough to the school that our children can walk or ride to school by themselves. I spent the time teaching them how to get to and from school safely so that they can do it on their own.
With after-school and weekend activities I have organised with other parents to alternate drop-offs and pick-ups.
Cooking – Once a week my children are in charge of cooking dinner for the family.
5. Write Out What you Need To-Do
There is always so much to do, whether it be to organise school requirements, schedule appointments, pay bills or general household items. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night remembering something you need to do? I know I have.
To avoid a cluttered mind and waking in the night I have a To-Do List and as something pops into my head I write it down. When I do not have access to my list, I often send myself an email and then add it later to the list. Sometimes I find myself automatically achieving things off my list without realising. There is magic about writing things down.
In this list, I write low-priority, future and nice-to-do items and let them sit there until when I am ready.
Hope these 5 tips help you get organised and reduce the stress of working and managing a household. I would love to hear from you too. What are ways that you organise your home or yourself?
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