Organization // Time Management // Follow-Up: My Day

Yesterday I posted some tips on List-Making to help with Time Management. If you missed it, check it out HERE.

Today you get a glimpse into my life to see some of those tips in action. Please keep in mind that when you apply any type of time management skills to your life, it will look different than everyone else’s. You may have more/less kids, a larger/smaller house, live closer/farther distances from shopping, a different level of fitness and so on.

So what I hope you learn from the example below is how to think through and accomplish your to-do list, not how much you can get done compared to me.

Ready?


Here was my to-do list before prioritizing it:
Go to Walgreens
Do laundry
Finish grocery shopping
Take Adam (my husband) to work
Read ebook
Write blog posts
Workout
Clean
Mail card for Gma
Prep food for tomorrow
Work 1-2 hrs
Decorate for fall
Bake cake for tomorrow

Note that this list doesn’t include everything I do in a day, like eat lunch and dinner, or other extras like checking email. But I keep them in mind of course!

Here is how my day turned out:

8:00am

I wake up and start a load of laundry, since it is one of those things you can set in motion and go. I get dressed for the gym because my workout is included in my morning plan. I do my Bible study, then discover some dishes in the sink. Since Adam is still getting ready, I have time to load the dishwasher and wash the pans before leaving.

 9:00am

I drop off Adam at work, then stop at my favorite local foods market for some fresh veggies. It is the first stop on my way home. Then I take a shortcut to Walgreens and finish my errands at Publix, which is closest to the apartment. I planned to do errands at this time since I was already out with Adam, and because around here, Saturday morning is the least busy time for traffic and shopping.

9:45am

I don’t have any cold items in my groceries so I stop at the gym in our apartment complex, instead of going home first. I am already dressed and have my phone & earbuds for my tunes. Hooray for completing Week 1 – Day 3 of my C25K workout! J

10:30am

Back at home, I switch out laundry for load two. I always keep laundry going because it just runs in the background. Then I unload my shopping bags and make a smoothie. While enjoying my smoothie I update our budget with my recent purchases, check in on MyFitnessPal and check email.

11:00am

I remember that Grandparents’ Day is tomorrow and since I won’t see my Gma like originally planned, I need to get the card in the mail. When I get back from a jaunt to our apartment mail room, I dust, vacuum and freshen the bathroom. I finish all that just in time to switch laundry for load three.

12:00pm

I shower and eat lunch. Usually I multi-task at the computer during lunch. Today I decide to have a lunch date with God. We talked a bit and it was great!

12:45pm

I start the dishwasher and put load three laundry in the dryer. Then I start on a strawberry cake for a function at church.

1:00pm

I put the cake in the oven and I sit down at the computer to record my lunch on MFP, respond to an email and then blog. I get up at one point to take the cake out of the oven and decide it wasn’t as big as I’d like it to be. So I make another layer. I had accomplished so much already and knew I had wiggle-room in my schedule. I can bake another! Then back to blogging.

3:00pm

I take a break from the computer to put away all the laundry and get my fall décor out. I love decorating! This was one of those planned moments for me. I also included reading in my to-do list, but if I don’t get to it, it’s ok. At this point, I’m having a great day!

3:30pm

Back to blogging for a bit. The smell of cake is wafting through my apartment. I remember those cupcakes Adam brought home last night….and I eat one. J

4:45pm

The cakes have cooled completely. Time to frost them!

5:20pm
My cakes are layered and frosted. I decided to empty the dishwasher while I was in the kitchen. Now I start work on a newsletter for church. I know Adam will call for me to pick him up sometime around 7:30pm. So I want to be sure to finish my computer work before then, in case he wants to use the computer…or for us to have some time together later!

6:15pm
I make dinner and put a pot on to boil some pasta for dinner at church Sunday.

6:45pm
Back to blogging. J

7:15pm
Adam calls for me to pick him up. I have one more thing to wrap up on the computer tonight. After that, I fold bulletins for church, then spend the evening relaxing and hanging out with Adam.

What a productive day! Thanks to my trusty to-do list, I have an evening AND the rest of my weekend to relax. I hope you do too!