Planning ahead can really save the day!
It helps with organizing our lives, and in organizing our lives, it can help out when emergencies surprise us too! By keeping up with regular things we can tend to forget… like getting the oil changed regularly on our cars, keeping plumbing maintained, forgetting to take our daily vitamins or medicines… we save ourselves from dealing with the consequences of not maintaining regular good habits!
“Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”
Ever heard that little phrase before? It’s called the Six-P Formula, and it looks like something you would see in bright colors on the wall of a high school classroom! High schoolers might not realize the value of a phrase like this at that time in their lives, but as adults, we should be able to see its worth!
As life continues on, it becomes less carefree and more hectic, we take on more responsibility, carry the weight of more burdens (whether that’s psychologically, emotionally, or financially), and start to stress easier! Hopefully, these little tips we use in our day-to-day lives to manage time and minimize stress will help you as well!
Keep A Calendar!
Keeping a calendar has been a HUGE help to me, and yes, I do have a calendar on my phone, which I use occasionally, but the big dry erase calendar on my fridge? That is where everything is written down! Anything we plan to do with friends or family, meetings, appointments, even if it’s tentative I write it down! That way, I don’t forget by writing it down which helps with memory, and of course, it’s proof when I forget the following day! You can try it my way, use an app on your phone, a small calendar you can carry around, or whatever helps you to jot down the important stuff in your life!
Create (or Buy) a Daily To-Do List!
This is an easy and essential part of my day! Quite simply, I love making lists- I’m one of those people! It’s so worth it to look ahead at your day and see what’s in store! It helps me to see if and when I have time to reward myself with a fun adventure in town or even better- a nap! (I’m a huge lover of nap time!) If you have a fun to-do list you’ve bought them you simply fill in the blanks and put it somewhere you will see it constantly! The best part for me is putting little boxes after each line, allowing me to check off each item as I go… it’s a great feeling if you haven’t tried it before!
Plan Your Week Early!
Every Saturday or Sunday I grab the calendar of my fridge and wipe it clean or the past week’s notes. A clean slate to fill with the upcoming week of plans! It also helps me to have a better grasp on what is coming up, I can plan my workout schedule, add in all the appointments and plans we’ve made, and see what’s open for a date night or do something with friends! Looking (and planning) ahead doesn’t just show you everything that needs to be done, it shows you how to make the most of your time, and not waste it wishing you’d scheduled your week better! Try looking ahead this week!
Try Not to Procrastinate!
Procrastination is not a great thing to be consistent with. If you genuinely forget to do something, well that’s understandable, but waiting till the late minute? That will build stress, anxiety, and can often throw other plans out of line due to that last-minute rush to do what you really wanted to avoid or just kept ignoring. Rather, let’s just aim to get it done when it needs to be! Or even better- the old hurry and wait! Get it done before it needs to be completed then sit back and relax knowing you have no worries because you’re all finished- and finished early!!! It will truly take a weight off your shoulders!
In reflection, I’ve had to learn the art of planning ahead through trial and error over the years, I’ve gone through phases where I was truly a mess of disorganized chaos. My grades suffered, my friendships struggled, and I felt unbalanced as a person when I wasn’t organized.
Though you don’t have to constantly maintain a perfect regiment of structure, planning ahead allows room the breathe, and has saved me from a stress-filled day or having a day ruined due to my own failures to keep track of my life. It does happen, and it’s not bad when life throws a curveball, but being prepared at least creates a buffer!
If you’re looking for a bit more structure and a little less stress in your life, try giving these tips a go! It will absolutely be a help when it comes to plumbing emergencies if you’ve kept your house maintained regularly, and you may not be as shocked by “bad news” from your plumber if you’ve been keeping track of everything regularly! Just a plumbing tip to help you along your way!
Hope you have peace of mind in the weeks to come, and that you enjoyed our suggestions on how to plan ahead and avoid the stress!
