December 16, 2022
On this eve of winter break, my thoughts are turning to New Years and the resolutions and habits I want to change, start or stop. I like to use breaks as a chance to change these habits and establish routines for when I go back to work. One of the things I found is to have a daily bucket list of things that must get done every day, at some point.
This concept came about slowly and I’ve been doing it off and on for awhile, until I finally made it official last year as part of my new year. I have many of these as tasks on a checklist to help me.
Some are things that must get done, some are things I often avoid or don’t have to do daily, but have found it’s much quicker if I do. Some of them are weekly tasks, but I have a spot for them daily and just rotate what I do.
This daily list includes the basic hygiene things like brushing teeth, taking medicines, getting dressed and brushing my hair. This also includes making my bed. But I also include things like clearing counters, washing the dishes, sweeping the floors, working out, taking the dogs out for walks, taking a nap and daily devotions and prayers. I rotate in other chores like paying bills, mopping, laundry, groceries and meal prep and decluttering that don’t need done daily but do need done regularly.
After awhile, they become automatic and I don’t always need a checklist, but it helps on those mopey days to still feel like I did something.
About a year and a half ago, I started incorporating this into work and created a task list for work items and it has made a huge difference, whether it is a busy or a slow day. I blogged about it in September of 2021, check it out here Using Your Inbox As a Task List to find out more.
It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, corporate worker, stay at home parent, self-employed, entrepreneur, retired or a college student–routines help us be productive, which sets a positive tone for our lives. Finding a routine, however small, is beneficial. It also leads to productivity and accomplishing all the goals you set out for. Don’t be afraid to do this with children either, since it can help them become independent and take things off of your list. Start small with just one or two things, then check in with yourself once a week or month and see how it’s going and what tweaks you may need to make to improve the process.
I’d love to know more about your goals or resolutions, or trouble areas you struggle with. Like and comment here, of find me on Social Media! I’m on Instagram and TikTok, and you can follow our travel journey on Facebook and TikTok.
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