Do you have
tasks that you’re supposed to do daily, but you often find yourself forgetting? Taking your daily vitamin… meditating… pulling
meat out of the freezer to cook the next day?
Do you have tasks that you have to do once a week on a particular day that are even more impossible to remember? Watering your plants on Wednesday… signing your child’s weekly school folder on Monday… reminding your kids to wear spirit wear to school on Friday, meal planning for the week ahead on Sunday?
Last year, I decided I was tired of keeping track of so many things in my head, so I decided to figure out the best way to organize all of my daily and weekly tasks. The result has been life-changing, and my brain has felt so much less cluttered since then. I also haven’t forgotten to take a vitamin in months. ;o)
As for the list itself – I created a new list titled “To Do Daily” in my List Master app, and inside that list, I typed out every single thing that I do on a daily basis. Originally, I only listed the tasks that I had trouble remembering, but ultimately, I decided to include ALL tasks I do on a daily basis, so the list could serve as a daily rhythm. I have all of the tasks in chronological order (even though some vary depending on the day), because that makes it easier for me to remember when I need to do the tasks.
Get ready
Meditate/quiet
time/affirmations
Make bed
Kids breakfast/dress/hair/teeth/potty
(helps me remember everything they need to do in the morning so I can double
check that they did, in fact, do those things)
Breakfast/fill
up water
Finish packing
lunches
Unload
dishwasher
Vitamins/oils
for all
Devotional/meditate
with kids
Load car (me) –
purse/water/keys/phone/mask (this serves as a little checklist in itself so I don’t
walk out the door and leave something important behind – masks, I’m looking at
you!)
Load car (kids)
– bookbags/lunches/thermoses/masks (and this one serves as the checklist for
the kids so they don’t forget anything)
Drop kids at
school
Work
out/shower
50 crunches (I
added this last month since I made a goal to do 50 crunches daily)
Water outdoor
plants
OOTD picture (I
take daily pictures of my outfits for my monthly What I Wore blog posts, and some
days I was forgetting to take the picture)
Close out
planner from previous day (move tasks that weren’t accomplished to the next day)
Look at
planner current day
Post to-do
list in Instagram Stories (I used to post these daily, but stopped when I had
to start facilitating virtual learning… I need to start again!)
Blog
linkups/Facebook post/Pinterest pin (things I do daily to promote my blog
posts)
Blog (write
posts, take and edit pics, and make sure post is ready to go for the next day)
Read blogs
Emails
Lunch/refill
water
One Second a
Day – take video (I just started using the 1 Second a Day app so I can have a video
of our year at the end of this year)
Load car –
baseball/ballet/snacks (reminder of what to bring when we have after school activities)
Pick up kids
Kids use hand
sanitizer in car (this is only on here because of Covid – haha)
Kids
bookbags/shoes/uniforms off (bc Covid – don’t want germs around the house)
Kids wash
hands/snacks
Kids homework
(assignments/study/read)
Kids outdoor
time
Diffuser/music
on
Empty
bookbags/lunchboxes
Unload
dishwasher (this is on here twice because most mornings I don’t empty the whole
thing and I have to finish up in the afternoon)
Wash freezer
packs (the ones that go in the kids’ lunchboxes)
Wash thermoses
Fill thermoses
Pack lunches
Pack snacks
Pack masks
Cook/eat/clean
Meat out of
freezer for next day (because don’t we ALL constantly forget to do this?!)
Family
time/outdoor walk
Pick out
outfit for tomorrow
Kids
shower/teeth/read/bed
Instagram post
One Second a
Day – upload video
Hang with
B/watch TV
Ready for
bed/take allergy meds/oils
Clear out this
list for tomorrow (I’m laughing at this one because it sounds so silly, but it’s
so nice to remember to do this each evening so it’s ready to go first thing in
the morning… mornings are already crazy enough!)
So that was my
main DAILY list, and in addition to that main daily list, I also have one
folder for each day of the week (Monday – Sunday) to list tasks that have to be
done on a specific day of the week.
There aren’t many tasks in each of those, though. Here are a few examples…
Monday’s list contains the following tasks:
Laundry
Sign Jacob’s
weekly folder
Wednesday’s list contains the following tasks:
Change out towels
Church uniforms
ready for kids on Thursday
Jacob study
for Word Work Test
Sunday’s list contains the following tasks:
Church
Get planner
ready for the week ahead
Water indoor
plants
Plan blog
posts for the week ahead
Blog post for
Monday
Read Olivia’s
AR book and return
Meal
plan/grocery list for the week ahead
Sort dirty
clothes for laundry
And that’s it,
y’all!
Throughout each day, I work my way through the daily portion of the list as well as the list for that particular day of the week. Each task has its own little check box, and I just check things off as I do them. At the end of each day when everything is done, I uncheck all of the boxes so the list is ready to go for the next day. And at the end of the week, I uncheck the boxes in the days-of-the-week lists so my list is ready to go for the next week.
Obviously, there are days where I don’t have to do certain tasks – like working out… I don’t work out every day, and also, the kids school stuff – I obviously don’t make lunches or drop the kids at school on Saturdays and Sundays. So, on any day that I don’t need to do a particular task, I just check it off so I don’t keep seeing it as something I need to do.
Getting this list all set up did take a little bit of time, but it has been SO worth it… each day is such a breeze, and now I never forget to do something important!
Happy Monday, y’all!!
*Linking up with My Glittery Heart, The Other Side of the Road, and The Sirois Family for Hello Monday.
What a good way to keep track of everything. I for sure am a list person as well, although more of a pen and paper girl. Try as I might, I just can't seem to get into lists on my phone...
ReplyDeleteAs per usual, you are the most organized person i know!! love it! xo, Biana BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to see this! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis totally speaks my love language... I LOVE lists and checking things off. Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI could totally get on board with this list master app. I don't use planners, but I often make lists in my notes for places to go and things to pick up, etc.
ReplyDeleteYou're so organized. There is nothing more rewarding than checking off items on a list. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI bought this app several years ago after you talked about it but only use it for grocery list. I need to change that.
ReplyDeleteI need to get this app! I am in a routine and tend to do pretty well to remember things, but we all forget stuff! I would forget more if I had as much as you to check off!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I am a huge fan of checking off to-do lists, and would love to organize them better <3
ReplyDeleteGreen Fashionista
The organization queen strikes again! This is so great and handy. I can definitely see how it makes the day to much smoother!
ReplyDelete