Friday, August 29, 2014

Chic Habits: Laying Out Your Day


Just as you might lay out your clothes for the next morning, why not lay out your day?  You could do it the evening before or you may prefer to do it on the morning of that day.

Whether it’s a day at home or a day at work I find all too often that I don’t get everything accomplished, and if I write out a to-do list I feel tied to it (I have a love/hate relationship with to-do lists I’ve decided).

So I had a thought to lay out my day.  Just take a moment to step through my day in my mind and see myself doing all the things I want to get done at the best times to do them and with time between each task to actually breathe.

Even if every little detail doesn’t go according to plan, the intention is there and it steers me in a direction rather than being subject to whims (both others and my own!)

It seems that this is a useful middle ground which suits me.  Of course if there are really, really important things to be done on a certain day I will have them written in my diary as a reminder so they will get done.

As an example, the night before a day at home I might be lying in bed drifting off to sleep, and I’ll think about all the things I’d like to get done the next day.  I imagine myself waking up at 6am to have a cup of tea while I do some reading on the computer.  I think about the order in which I’ll have my shower, put washing on, do the vacuuming and what things I’d like to have completed before lunch.

Then I think about what I might like for lunch and what my fun lunchtime activity will be.  When I’m eating by myself I like to read at the dining table or watch a movie or tv programme on the sofa.

After lunch I will have some lighter activities at home and then have them all wrapped up by, say 4.30pm when I might choose to go for a 45-60 minute walk around the neighbourhood.  Then of course comes dinner prep and the evening.  I like to keep evenings clear of work, and also the computer if possible.  Sometimes it can’t be helped if I’ve been too busy (or disorganised) during the day, but I like that to be the exception rather than the rule.

Laying out the day really helps direct my focus and I love nothing more than the feeling at the end of the day of a good mix of accomplishment and relaxation which brings about the most amazing sense of contentment.

‘People often complain about lack of time when the lack of direction is the real problem’ – Zig Ziglar

10 comments:

  1. "Laying out the day..." I admire the gentle way in which you express yourself. Your words, plans, and activities of choice are such pleasant ones.

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  2. And you don't write it down? Although I would be afraid that I would forget something, I do like the idea of not being tied to a list (which seems like work.)It also might help me to go with the flow a little better. I tend to get flustered when my carefully orchestrated plans go awry. Must be I'm a bit of a control freak!

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  3. I have always been a list maker and, while it can be helpful, it can also be very discouraging when I never quite complete everything on the list. Now I go into my weekends knowing I will do the usual things (grocery shopping, laundry, etc.), but then just think of one thing I really want to get done, and just shoot for that. Anything I do above and beyond is then icing on the cake.

    I like your idea of thinking it through in my mind the night before and may just have to give it a try for this weekend.

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  4. Merci, Rebecca for your kind words!

    Kristien, I used to love lists, I don't know when that changed, but like you said, it turned out to be a long work list of jobs which I would then avoid. Le sigh. I like things to be fun and gentle and not like work and this term 'laying out the day' popped into my head which helped my motivation enormously.

    Melodee, yes, an undone list can be discouraging. Or even a mostly done one because... it's often the hardest things I leave 'til last (when you're meant to do them first). On a Friday night you can visualise your perfect weekend with the ideal amount of work and play getting all your jobs done in the process. I'm sure going through it in your mind sets up some sort of mental pathway for you to follow.

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  5. I love this idea...so much more gentle than a long to do list and something to look forward to rather than thinking of it as work.

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  6. I love this idea. "Laying out the day." And playing the movie of it in advance to prepare the pathway. Beautiful.

    In the movie, "The King's Speech", the king was given his outline of activities for the day all printed out on a sheet of personalized stationery, something like a menu. That little ritual intrigued me.

    Since lists can be daunting, sometimes I just jot down the main events of the day, so that I don't forget what I wished to do.

    Your posts are always inspiring. They provide signposts along the way towards a lovely and peaceful life.

    May your life be filled with joy since you share so much joy with others.

    Honey Bee



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  7. Honey Bee, thank you for your comment. You are the second person to mention The Kings Speech movie to me this week. I've been meaning to watch it for quite some time, so I think it will be on the schedule within the next few days. Thank you for your lovely words!

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  8. Fiona, thank you for a wonderful post again!

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  9. Glad to find this post. I wrote a post the other day about putting order to your closet as a good first step for fall, and I like the idea of trying to picture your day as you would want it to go. Great idea, thanks!
    - Nancy

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Merci for your comment. Wishing you a chic day!

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