Posted by How to on Friday, August 29, 2014
Just as you might lay out your clothes for the next morning, why not lay out your day? You could do it the evening before or you may prefer to do it on the morning of that day.
Whether it�s a day at home or a day at work I find all too often that I don�t get everything accomplished, and if I write out a to-do list I feel tied to it (I have a love/hate relationship with to-do lists I�ve decided).
So I had a thought to lay out my day. Just take a moment to step through my day in my mind and see myself doing all the things I want to get done at the best times to do them and with time between each task to actually breathe.
Even if every little detail doesn�t go according to plan, the intention is there and it steers me in a direction rather than being subject to whims (both others and my own!)
It seems that this is a useful middle ground which suits me. Of course if there are really, really important things to be done on a certain day I will have them written in my diary as a reminder so they will get done.
As an example, the night before a day at home I might be lying in bed drifting off to sleep, and I�ll think about all the things I�d like to get done the next day. I imagine myself waking up at 6am to have a cup of tea while I do some reading on the computer. I think about the order in which I�ll have my shower, put washing on, do the vacuuming and what things I�d like to have completed before lunch.
Then I think about what I might like for lunch and what my fun lunchtime activity will be. When I�m eating by myself I like to read at the dining table or watch a movie or tv programme on the sofa.
After lunch I will have some lighter activities at home and then have them all wrapped up by, say 4.30pm when I might choose to go for a 45-60 minute walk around the neighbourhood. Then of course comes dinner prep and the evening. I like to keep evenings clear of work, and also the computer if possible. Sometimes it can�t be helped if I�ve been too busy (or disorganised) during the day, but I like that to be the exception rather than the rule.
Laying out the day really helps direct my focus and I love nothing more than the feeling at the end of the day of a good mix of accomplishment and relaxation which brings about the most amazing sense of contentment.
�People often complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem� � Zig Ziglar