So many chores and so little time. Is this defining you?
There are ways to manage your time and make it work in your favour. Make sure you prioritise in such a way that your own wellbeing is on the top of the list.
You must include at least one of these dopamine-releasing activities every day:
- Create something: from a healthy meal to pruning your bushes or arranging flowers in a vase, there are many simple free activities that will give you pleasure.
- Move your body: go for a walk, stretch, follow a yoga video for 10 minutes.
- Listen to your favourite tune: you can do this while driving, walking or resting.
- Look inwards: become aware of your breath and your thoughts. Think positive, remember to count your blessings.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Rest.
Do something that will add to your personal goals in the long term.
Do you want to write a book, have you started one but haven't written in a while? Do you want to learn a new language or another skill? Make sure you include small steps towards fulfilling your vision on regular basis.
You can spread a long to-do list horizontally over time to make it happen. Instead of looking at a scary tower-like stack of errands, jobs and wishful goals about your own personal projects like fitness, diet, hobbies or generating income, give yourself a year, two years or even ten years and work on achieving what’s important to you.
Plan
Once you've pleased yourself with a couple of activities that should be completed regularly, use a weekly planner to define what you will be doing and write down deadlines for your personal projects. Keep it real, don't make each day too demanding. Remember to spread the activities horizontally.
Focus
The key to being efficient is tackling one chore at a time. Whether you can finish it in one go or you can complete small stages of a longer process in a given time period, give it your full attention and then move on to what's pending in other areas of your to-do list.
Adjust
Allow for changes as you go along your plan. There will be matters to attend that will arise unexpectedly. Life happens. Make sure that you remind yourself that you can reschedule non-urgent tasks for later.
Delegate
You can't be everywhere all the time, choose to carry out those chores you enjoy the most and ask another member of the family to complete others. It takes some thought and time to communicate with others but you can find convenient arrangements by just considering what others could be doing.
Remember
The happier you become, the more you'll have to offer to those around you. You will be a more pleasant person to be with and you will attract positivity into your life.
