Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Oh Wow, I’m Busy

It’s been a while since I could say that I was busy, and when I was, the clients were remote and it didn’t seem the same. Suddenly I feel like, wow, I need a haircut. (It’s only been 15 months!) What do I wear to work? And maybe I need to start thinking strategically about planning meals again, since I’m not around all afternoon to marinate.

I can’t lie: I always love being busy, and this year more than ever. I’m excited to dust off all my time-saving habits, and rev up my engine. Maintaining structure during the pandemic was important, but everything was much slower: less rushing, less commuting, just less.

So here are the things I want to recommit to this week:

Meal Planning: I can’t make something that takes three hours on a night when I get home at 6 p.m., so today I went back to my old habit of writing down exactly what we are eating every night this week, and then my husband and I went grocery shopping. Feels like old times!

To-Do Lists: Though I never completely abandoned this practice, it has become a little… squishy. I need to make sure I spend a few minutes every evening making a list for the next day—and then really looking at it first thing in the morning. Sticking with this habit always sets me up for success, especially when I’m busy.

Schedule Some Fun: I’m so grateful for the few friends I regularly walked with over the last year, but gee, things are opening up and people are getting vaccinated. I’m looking forward to seeing more friends—maybe even in a restaurant. Spending time with friends happens to have been my New Year’s Resolution in 2020. Now that I’m done laughing and crying at the folly of that one, I’m going to re-apply myself to that goal. But as an organized person, I know that (for grownups at least) fun rarely just happens, and if I want to see people, I’m going to have to reach out and make a plan. Totally scary and exciting.

Is your life beginning to morph? Are your kids in school more? Are you spending more time at the office? Are you beginning (gasp) to have a social life? What habits do you need to revive so you can make the most of this most beautiful spring?