There are some days when I just cannot understand why I am always the one cleaning, planning, preparing, packing, whatever it is that our household needs. I feel like I am always the one getting it done. Yes, cred to my husband, he does help me, but his idea of helping and my idea of helping sometimes are two different things. I sincerely needed some productivity hacks in my life!
Honestly, all couples have a ying and a yang to their home life. Sometimes the man is better at cooking and cleaning and sometimes the women have that trait. I have found that there are some days that I wake up and feel like I can do a million things, but lets be honest, the weekend is not that long and my to-do list usually is extensive.
Another distinction I want to make is that we are all busy, but that does not necessarily equal being productive.
That said here are a few hacks from our home to yours to increase the productivity in your household.
Productivity Hacks to Streamline your Life
Weekly Meeting
Our family is always doing something so our weekly meeting usually consists of 15 informal minutes. Fifteen minutes is all you need to talk about your week align with your partner.
What if we are out of town or if we have back to back plans this weekend?
We are usually super busy as well, so a good plan is doing it when and where you and your partner can talk.
Taking 15 minutes on a walk, sitting down after dinner, or on the way to the soccer game is all you need. Wherever you have access to your mobile (which will most likely have your calendar) works. Just make sure you are able to take notes in your phone or enter daily events.
Monthly Meeting
Monthly meetings are important for you and your partner as you can look at finances, weekend plans, career plans and considerations. Then you can block time for yourselves and for your kids/family. Our family's biggest pet peeve is when we accidentally block every weekend in the summer. Of course, we then never have a weekend at home to enjoy our space and reset.
One awesome hack we began to do together was putting each month up on our office wall. Then we each add a post-it for each project or task we think is important to us. We then add dollars to it.
It was a real wake up call to see what we were planning to do and how much it was going to cost us over a short period of time. It allowed us to align on our top priorities and move past those that weren't as important.
Use a Shared Calendar
When you have a shared calendar , you and your family become aligned on weekly activities. Using a gmail calendar is an easy way to keep everyone on track.
Give Everyone a Job at Home
Try having the kids do chores through a reinforcement calendar or chart. Be sure to ensure each person knows when it is their time to do the activity. This will allow you to set expectations up front and open up time for you to get other things done. This also reduces conflict in the home.
Exercise
Giving back to your body through exercise boost your energy levels and gives your body the ability to do more during the day. When you exercise you increase blood flow to your brain, which increases your awareness per livestrong.com. It also can reduce anxiety and depression as exercise boosts serotonin (a.k.a the positive feelings) that you need to stay happy. Be sure to drink lots of water and your body will thank you.
HOW TO FIT IT IN????
Well wake up earlier, start an at home routine, go for a run, or get to the gym. If you cant possibly get up earlier then get moving on your lunch break (yes, actually take your lunch break). If you have to pick up the kiddos after work and then make dinner. Plan to eat separately and go for a run or workout after they hit the sack. The point is that you have to MAKE THE TIME. If you have a partner, tell them what you want to start working on and talk in advance. This will allow you to see if they can help with the pickups or help with those things that take time out of your schedule.
Plan your Meals
Making sure that your grocery shopping is under one hour makes life so much easier. I am not saying go crazy with grocery lists, coupons and recipes. Although this may be helpful as well, but at a minimum figure out what type of protein you will need for your meals that week. Then you buy an assortment of veggies for sides and you wont need to put too much extra thought into them prior to shopping.
Do it One Time
This is one of the most important hacks your can do. Touch it once, whatever it is. Do it efficiently by setting that goal and getting the task completed. If your cleaning: do the whole house. Don't just one room, as that will just give you added stress later. When your planning a project, clear your schedule for the weekend so that you can get it done asap. If your sending an email, complete it from start to finish. When going to your home improvement store, make a list of the things you need so you don't need to go back again. This hack one will make you feel so much more efficient. Planning in advance will save you time and energy. It seems so simple, but making this a constant habit in your life will make everything feel that much more productive.
Just Read the Damn Directions
This is one that I am guilty of and have learned the hard way so many times. I think I know what needs to be done so I jump head first.
We all have bought something from IKEA, started to put it together and tried to jump ahead. BIG MISTAKE, it seems simple and it is....if you read the directions. Save yourself the time, get out of the car yourself if you need driving directions (cause we all know that the map is not always right on your phone). Watch the YouTube blog on the, "HOW TO" before jumping right in. Although it may take you a couple more minutes, it may actually save you time in the end. When in doubt, READ THE DIRECTIONS, get the advice first, and then get started.
There are so many more things you can do to streamline your life, however if you implement some of these simple productivity hacks into your life, I am telling you it will save you time, energy and money.
If you want all these and more wrapped in a pretty little bow, download my PRODUCTIVITY HACK CHECKLIST.
Best of luck all my hustle friends....go get 'em.
