If you are anything like me, the announcement has been made. You are heading back to the office and you aren’t quite sure how you feel about it. You’re use to the new normal. You are in your daily groove, and now we are about to shake it up again. Guess it keeps things interesting!
It would be very easy to fall back into your routine where you were stressed and felt like you never had time to accomplish anything. Instead, use this as an opportunity to create a new schedule and routine! Sharing my five time savings tips for easing into your new schedule.
Meal Prep & Plan
The more you will be in the office the more importance this tip may have for you. When I’m at the office, I won’t have the luxury of thawing meat in the sink during my last meeting of the day to start dinner as soon as I’m done working. It will be beneficial to plan your meals for the week ahead. Try your best to have a few easier meals planned on the days you are in the office. Another option, cook on the days you are working from home and have leftovers on the days you are in the office. I’m very fortunate my hubs likes leftovers so I will take full advantage of that one!
Bonus tip – Over the last few months I took advantage of grocery delivery and my goodness what a huge burden that has been lifted. I place my order at night while watching TV and schedule it for that next morning. Wether you use the delivery or pickup service it will save you time from roaming the aisles and standing in the checkout line. This has been a huge time saver for me!
Dedicated Chore Days
I have found that spreading the house chores over the week on dedicated days is also a huge time saver. For me, I use Friday nights to wash the laundry and order the groceries so on Saturday I’m just folding the laundry and putting the groceries away. Each night of the week I have one small chore to do. This way my weekends aren’t overwhelmed with chores and by Monday I’m exhausted.
For my routine this is the schedule I follow: Monday- vacuum, mop, pick up house from the weekend; Tuesday- clean out fridge, freezer and pantry, trash bins and change bath towels; Wednesday- clean bathrooms; Thursday- meal plan and Friday- start laundry, order groceries and change towels. Remember that life happens. Try to stick to whatever schedule you create but be flexible when something causes this to change.
To-Do List and/or Brain Dump
I have always been a to-do list person. Recently I have been a big fan of grabbing a piece of paper and a pen and keeping it at my desk. You are in a new environment so you may have distractions running through your mind during the day. For me, I think of things I would have done if I were home like run the dishwasher or check the mail. Now, any random thoughts that come into my mind I write them on the brain dump.
Similarly, I schedule task reminders on my phone like change my Pura air freshener, change my razor blades, clean the pool filter. All things I may wonder when the last time I took care of that was. Wether you schedule reminders on your phone or make to-do lists, either of these will help you keep your mind clear.
Make Time For Loved Ones
You may be wondering why I have this as a time saving tip. Your loved ones should always be a priority. Making time for them should be in your top three of important things to do. I have been guilty in the past of saying “Oh I can’t come see you this weekend, just too much to do before Monday.” What happens is, Monday morning rolls around and my mind is consumed with guilt that I didn’t make time for my family.
Delegate Large Time Consuming Tasks
The likelihood that larger tasks are worth your time is unlikely. As they say, time is money! If you can reduce stress and accomplish several things in the time it would take you to complete one task, delegate it! For example, if you are looking for a home, that is incredibly time consuming. Spending countless hours looking at listings and maps of areas and getting lost in the virtual tours online. Delegate it! Hire a professional like Erin King with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty. Erin King is a Ramsey endorsed provider and has your financial interest at heart. He is also a Best of Zillow® Realtor® so you can rest easy that Erin is hard at work for you while you are conquering all your other to-do’s!
As I was browsing Erin’s listings, I found that he specializes in San Marco historic real estate. These homes are gorgeous and have so much character. Something I came to realize when looking for a home is to be open to possibilities. If this last year and half has taught us anything, it is to think outside the box and be open to the unfamiliar.
Till Next Time,
