May was crazy for me and June is looking just as busy. With multiple clients, blogging and theatre trips to balance as well as the usual housework, relaxation and sleep, I’m big on getting organised. June isn’t looking any quieter so I need to get everything sorted in advance. Here are my 5 steps to prepare for a busy month.
WRITE IT ALL DOWN
The first thing I do is write a to-do list of everything happening within the month. On one side, I list any plans that I’ve got booked in, from shift work to theatre trips and everything in between. On the other side, I list any tasks that need to get done that month. I try not to list too many items because inevitably, stuff crops up at random throughout the month.
Next, I plan it all out on a calendar. I personally like to see the monthly view to begin with. It means that those tasks that don’t have a dedicated day can now be plugged into any gaps. For me, I love to see it all out on paper first before I move it to my digital spaces, such as Google Calendar and Asana. It also makes content planning easier because I know that theatre reviews slot in after I’ve seen the show. I have a few pillar posts that I schedule every month and quarter so it’s then about filling out my calendar around that.
SCHEDULE IN SELF-CARE
Whether that’s workouts, meal prep time, weekly resets, beauty appointments, yoga classes or a pamper night in, get it scheduled! If it doesn’t go in the diary/on the calendar, I won’t remember it. I’ve got to that age where I prioritise self-care over quite a lot of areas in my life because I’m finally putting myself first. Your idea of self-care might be a Sunday morning visiting charity shops or spending one night a week at a book club. It might be socialising or solo activities, whatever fills your cup. Scheduling in time for self-care, which definitely includes hobbies, helps to keep you sane. I do this every week as well as every month now because it’s important to me!
PREP THINGS IN ADVANCE
If you’ve got a busy month ahead of you, prepping things in advance will definitely help you out. Batch cooking some meals will save you time from cooking later on in the week. Writing blog posts in bulk also saves time in the long run. Basically, anything that can be done in batches will give you the time back during the week or month. It’s not always doable to get some tasks done in advance but if you can, you’ll be thanking yourself later. I think of it as lazy organisation and I’m 100% okay with that. You have to make organising work for you, not the other way around.
MAKE PROPER USE OF MY WEEKLY RESETS
Because of my schedule, I can’t always do my weekly resets on Sundays. Sometimes, I have a free day on Saturday or Monday instead. I use these resets to plan out my week in more detail, do the food shop, meal plan and prep for the week, do the housework, and have an extended self-care night. Whatever you think you need to do once a week to set yourself up for the following week, it goes in your Sunday reset. I split my reset into four categories: organisation, housework, errands and self-care. I’m not even joking when I say that weekly resets have changed my life!
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, BLAST THROUGH A POWER HOUR
If you’ve got a bunch of tasks to do but limited time to do them in, a power hour will do you the world of good. I tend to put on a load of washing and use the washing machine as a timer. It’s great for getting through housework, writing up a blog post, or a planning session. Schedule one per week if you really need to do and always go in with a to-do list. Stuff often builds up during a busy month so a power hour can be a timeblock to just get some niggly tasks off your plate. I often fill it with five-minute tasks in one go because it’s good to feel super accomplished! If I can tick off something on a list, it feels like a weight lifted from my shoulders.
The more organised you get in advance, the easier the month will be. These 5 steps to prepare for a busy month are the basics that I use every month because I like to get set up with a routine. I’m definitely a creature of habit! You know that planning and organisation is my thing if you’ve been here a while too. However, I say that it’s always a personal thing to make it work for you. What works for me might not work for you. It’s all about trial and error again!
If you found these 5 steps to prepare for a busy month, you can find my other organisation posts here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too.
