Life 5 years ago The New Way I'm Organizing My Life
I think it’s safe to say that we are all having adjust the sails a bit when it comes to how we plan out our daily schedules, routines and any ideas of travel that we may have for the rest of 2020.
I’m still ironing it all out not only emotionally, but mentally as well. How much do I want to pack into my day as it pertains to work? How much do I need to sit behind my desk versus creating content around my house or in my bathroom and closet? Do we want to take any trips this year and what will that look like? Should we host a small outdoor dinner party next week? Do I want to plan outings for the family in a safe environment?
These are all questions that are up in the air around our house lately. As someone who doesn’t deal well with the unknown, I thought it would be very helpful for me to restructure the way I go about my weeks. Pre-quarantine, I had a crazy slammed Google Calendar with appointments, meetings, drinks with friends, family outings and a pretty packed travel schedule. At the time I thought I really thrived off of staying so busy.
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But now that I’ve had over two months of “safer at home” orders in Los Angeles, I’ve quickly learned to love the slower pace of life. My days feel more fulfilled when I’m balancing work with other things around the house such as cooking dinner each night for the family, gardening and working on other personal projects. But I still craved structure and missing having a schedule, so I decided it was time to make a change.
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
I also recognized that many of us are slowly starting to reemerge into society and while I slowly begin to do this as well, I want to be very careful with how I am managing my schedule to meet the new needs and hopes I have on a personal level. Gone are the days where I will pack myself so full that I won’t have time to make dinner for June. Over are the times I will regret taking on a meeting or dinner that takes me away from other things I would rather be doing.
The biggest take away from quarantine that I hope we can all carry with us is that our time is precious.
Writing It Down
A long time ago, I used to be in love with my daily planner. I'm such a big lists person and love to write everything down. Over the years this has taken a backseat to my packed Google Cal and I think it's because I was planning, replanning and moving things around so much that it became impossible to have it all written down on a hard format. Now that my life feels slower, it feels better to simplify my schedule back into a written structure. I also love that I can look ahead to little victories such as our local flower market that recently reopened.
Less Is More
Gone are the days of having a jam packed schedule. By allowing myself a lot of cushion during my day, I honestly feel like I am being more productive. There are some days that I am in full house cleaning mode and other days that I want to be more productive with work. Every day doesn't have to look the same and I feel like sometimes when I stock pile work it makes my life easier.
Take Breaks
This might seem trivial but I've been allowing myself more breaks during the day. As someone who documents her life on social media as a career, this has probably felt like the largest shift for me. I find myself putting my phone down more than ever before. I've been enjoying true quality time with my family and little things like eating dinner without having my phone in hand.
Proactive Planning
While living in isolation had a few silver linings, over the past few weeks we are being allowed to socially distance with friends. I have found that I have to be very proactive in making plans with friends. Gone are the days of a simple text of 'let's grab drinks.' The plans now involve setting up chairs in the backyard, 6 feet apart and coordinating a space so that everyone feels safe and respected. It takes extra time and effort but it is 100% worth the effort to socialize and get that quality time in with friends.
Cut the Fat
Looking at my schedule back in January compared to now it is truly night and day. I've been able to really cut out anything that doesn't serve me. It's honestly been a blessing. The best excuse you have to say 'no' to something in your schedule is Coronavirus. Use it to your advantage.
How are you adjusting your schedule to this new reality? Would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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