How do you keep on top of all life’s many details?
This morning I was congratulating myself on booking my “put-snow-tires-on” appointment at a suitable time because snow is now in the forecast. And then I thought, you know, I could probably book the “take-snow-tires-off” appointment in advance and be reasonably accurate on the timing for that too. After all, I’ve lived through several winters in this city now and seen some fairly consistent patterns!
It suddenly dawned on me that I’ve gradually been scheduling in advance more and more of my appointments and routines over the past year….and it’s made my life so much EASIER!
Now, for anyone who’s saying “Duh, that’s a pretty obvious thing to do” then this post isn’t for you anyway. Before I had kids, I always thought I was a very organized person. Turns out not so much. After acquiring kids, a house, more possessions, and many responsibilities, there are now way more moving parts for me to organize. And it turns out I’m actually more of a “creative, big picture, follow the energy in the moment” kind of person. If that’s you too, and you notice you’re consistently scrambling to keep up with your to-do list, then I invite you to read on. ;-)
I’d say the practice of consciously scheduling in advance first started with my hairdresser. I never used to schedule hair cuts in advance; rather, I’d wait until I was in that “Ugh, I can’t stand my hair and I need it cut TODAY!” place….and then I’d call and schedule the first available slot with anyone free, which sometimes wasn’t for another week, and I’d have to shuffle my days around to accommodate the last-minute appointment. It took me awhile to catch on that my hair needs to be cut every 3 months. So, one day when they asked, “Would you like to schedule your next appointment?” I just began taking them up on it.
And I started seeing the benefits of this right away: I got to choose a time of day and week when I’m not at my most productive and energetic, and trade that time slot for a guaranteed date to relax, get pampered and feel re-energized! Win-win!
Last winter, I noticed a similar pattern around massages. I was consistently getting myself in a tight spot (ha!) trying to get an available appointment when I needed it most. And then, I began taking note of when I tended to be at my lowest energetically (time of month) and tended to be most stressed out (after putting on a big event) and I scheduled a few massages in advance for around those times. What a gift that turned out to be! It was as though I’d received a note from my past self: “Dear self. Thought you could really use this. Enjoy! Love me.”
So far I’ve only talked about self care, but I’ve used this scheduling-in-advance practice in other areas too:
Hours put aside to plan and later prep for my kids’ birthday parties (the event & notification repeats every year)
Doctors and dentist check-ups, yearly flu shots, etc.
Times set aside each year for Christmas list making, card signing/mailing, shopping
Times each year for choosing, budgeting for, and registering for kids’ camps (before I miss the deadlines and they’re full! It’s happened more times than I care to admit)
A weekend day each season to switch out seasonal clothes, gear, furniture, etc.
Seasonal tasks like raking (so we don’t end up booking time out of town on those weekends when they really need to get done. For instance, right now is typically when all the leaves are falling and snow is on the way, and raking needs to get done this weekend so people don’t slip on our sidewalk full of slimy/icy leaves).
And so much more!
Now, I’m not advocating for scheduling away every second of our lives and losing all flexibility to deal with things in the moment. I’m talking about scheduling in the Important things we need to do on a regular basis - but that we typically put off scheduling or doing until they become Critical.
Health Maintenance. Connecting with certain family and friends we don’t see often. “Filling our buckets” before our buckets are bone dry. Exercise. Meal prep. Caring for our home and major possessions so they last longer.
All of these things are integral to sustaining ourselves, to thriving. When we schedule them in, they’re given the priority, or the time and space they deserve, and there’s a greater chance they’ll get done before they’re urgent.
We’re living in a magical age…We can use technology to remind us of what’s most Important so our minds don’t have to be weighed down with as many details!
These days, I’ve been digging even deeper into my schedule and pre-booking regular “breathing room” into my coaching days so I’m at my best for my clients. And I’m looking closely at scheduling different types of business activities to match the natural energy levels of my monthly cycle and the seasons. (I have Kate Northrup’s book Do Less to thank for that insight…. Revolutionary!) It’s all a work in progress, but I’m enjoying the space that’s been opening up in my mind and my days.
So, over to you.
What regular appointments, routines, tasks, etc. creep up on you each week, month, season, year and leave you scrambing? If you take some time to think back, do you notice a pattern of how often they occur or a rough time of year when they usually need to get done? Will you schedule some of these in advance so you don’t have to think about them?
And then, if you’d share your ideas, we can all benefit!
Here’s to creating ease in our lives…..
