Do you feel like you life is spiraling out of control? You know what I mean, your house is a mess, you can’t remember if you paid your bills, and your brain is constantly rolling a to-do list but you can’t seem to take the first step to do any of the tasks.
Here is a list of things you can do to take the first steps to get your life back on track when things are out of control. Even if you only do one of these steps, it will feel so nice to get back on track!
(This article does get a little “brainy” but stick with me. It will all come together at the end to make you the rock star ✨ you deserve to be!)
Braindump everything you are thinking of
This is probably the most useful advice I can give you if you are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Take out a piece of paper or your planner and braindump anything and everything you can think of that needs to be done or thought about.
At this point you will just word-vomit any and everything that comes to mind. Don’t audit anything. As soon as you start to second guess anything or analyze the things that you write down you will start to slow down your thinking and lose the momentum you need to fully clear your head of everything that is weighing you down.
You will want to list out any errands you need to run, chores around the house, doctors appointments, repairs around the home, work responsibilities.
Here is a starting point of things to think about:
- home maintenance
- family
- financial
- work
Assign priorities
Let’s take a look at that giant list and break it down into priorities.
A good way to easily guage priorities is to look at the Eisenhower Matrix. In it’s simplest form, all tasks are rated based on how important or urgent it is.
Your tasks should fall under one of these categories:
- Urgent and important
- Urgent but NOT important
- Important but NOT urgent
- NOT important and NOT urgent
I like to label tasks as A, B or C tasks.
- A tasks are urgent and important
- B tasks are important but not urgent
- C tasks are things I would still like to get done, but aren’t super important
If a task doesn’t fall under A, B, or C tasks it is most likely not important AND not urgent. You will want to really look at those tasks and determine if you really need want to do it, or if you can take it off your list completely.
Delegate
Don’t be afraid to delegate those C tasks! C tasks are often tasks that NEED to be done, but doesn’t SPECIFICALLY need you to do it!
Can your husband take up the slack, or can you hire a housekeeper, or enlist your child to help with chores?
Plan out your schedule to get back on track
Most B and C tasks should be looked at to see when it needs to be completed, and plan out your schedule for the next week or so.
Be realistic of what you can do. A jam-packed schedule will overwhelm you right off the bat. You need to slowly reintroduce your habits so that you can feel like everything is achievable and know that you can do it!
Try not to schedule out too far into the future, just plan for the next two weeks to start out. I struggle to maintain my schedule past a week because I will get overwhelmed when things don’t go according to plan. Having less scheduled means that I can easily adjust my schedule to get back on track.
Time management
Often times, we are struggling to keep afloat because we aren’t actually being mindful of our time.
Now would be a great time to take a look at how we spend our day. A lot of the time we think we are being productive with everything that we do in a day, but we are really just wasting time.
What can you do to be more productive? Work on eliminating the time sucks if you want to get more done and stay on top of everything going on in your life.
Too much on your plate
Of course, there is also the possibility that you really DO have too much to do and no time to do it. All of the productivity tips in the world will not help you if this is the case. You will need to delegate or remove tasks to free up some of your time.
You NEED personal time to decompress. If you are constantly working at work and home you will wear yourself out. Now is the time to reach out for help and delegate what you can.
Clean off your desk/workspace
I find that whenever I am feeling chaotic my desk typically becomes a landing zone for notes, paperwork and other things that need to be done.
Take a moment to clean off your desk, and place any tasks that you find on your to-do list and schedule if possible.
Not only will you be clearing off your desk, but you will also find it incredibly useful in clearing out your mind! I often find myself feeling much more relaxed and sleeping better after cleaning my desk when I’ve been overwhelmed.
Use Calendar Systems That Work for You To Get Back on Track When Things are out of Control
There are many tools you can use to get yourself organized, and practicing it everyday will help you stay on top of everything.
You could use a calendar or paper planner system if you like to use paper and pencil for your planning.
There are also many different planning systems online. I like and have used Asana and Trello.
Trello is like a virtual post-it system. If you are visual, you may like to use it. When my projects get more complex, I find Trello to feel a bit cluttered.
I looove using Asana. I like that I can assign tasks to people, along with due dates. I can also have subtasks within each tasks so Asana can handle even the most complex projects.
You may need to try a few options until you find one that works best for you.
Implement a Home Management Binder
You may also find implementing a home management binder extremely useful in streamlining and maintaining everything in your life. Whether you are looking for cleaning schedules, your meal plan, or whether you paid the cable company, you will have everything at your fingertips within seconds.
I love that the home management binder is completely customizable. You can choose to add additional forms that will help you feel organized, and remove anything that doesn’t seem to work for you and your family.
Practice new habits
Once you find yourself feeling more organized, you will want to set up habits keep moving forward and maintain your organized life. You don’t want to have to keep going through an organized to chaos cycle. I mean, that sounds really exhausting!
A few examples could be opening up the mail as it comes in. If something needs to be filled out, do it right away and send it back in. If it’s a bill, put it with your other bills so you can pay it on your designated bill paying day.
You could also set up daily check-ins to clean off your drop zones. You know, the areas where you toss things when you first come home, like the kitchen counter, your desk, the shelf right by the front door.
Here’s your homework for today:
What can you clean/organize that will leave a big impact and make you feel fulfilled and accomplished?
It does not have to be a big project, but a quick win that you’ve been putting off. Maybe it’s scheduling that doctor’s appointment, or getting your oil changed.
Do it today before you go to bed. Better yet, go do it now. 😛
All right, girl, you’ve got this! You’ll get your life back on track in no time!
