Ops Insights #047 Organize to Ward off Stress
August 30, 2024 | Read Time: 3 minutes | Written by Jenny Kleintop
Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to adjust our routines to get back to fall schedules. If you are like me, it’s a time of adjustment, a time to reset your mindset and reclaim some habits that you let go of during the summer months. Let’s talk through what can help get you back into the swing of things.
First, something to know about me: I am a planner in my professional life and the opposite in my personal life. I believe it’s what balances me and keeps me going.
→ In my professional life, I color code my calendar, schedule everything, take detailed notes, have folders for every project, and yes even have naming conventions on all my stuff to keep organized.
→ In my personal life, I let it go free. Minimal organizing, pre-planning, and color-coding. I lean toward spontaneity and going with the flow. When we have company and I am asked what we should eat tonight or tomorrow for dinner, my response is, “I don’t know,” as I have to wait and see what I feel like. It’s 8 am, and for some reason, I just don’t know what I want to eat at 6 pm.
I tell you all that because there are all kinds of people and styles and this is perfectly okay as this is what makes the world go round. There is no right or wrong way to get yourself to adjust into your fall routine. Do what works best for you. I share what I’ve learned in hopes it helps any of you who are similar to me bounce back into that fall routine quicker and with less angst.
Gather schedules. If you have more than just yourself to manage, such as being the Uber driver for kids’ activities, grab those schedules so you have them in hand. Grab other schedules such as work schedules, school schedules, and even volunteering schedules.
Take time to organize your calendar first. Personally, I love color coding my calendar, such as orange for active work hours, red for medical or other appointments, and yellow for professional development. I have two calendars for work and a family calendar, all of which I overlay into one calendar. I use Outlook for my calendars, and we share a Google family calendar.
Then take time to organize as a household. We have a sit down where we’ll talk though all the schedules the best we can for the school year. This way, we can block off or adjust certain schedules on days if we need to.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Needs and schedules change, sometimes it feels like often, but it’s all part of the journey. The key is to openly communicate with all parties involved. I find the more we communicate, the less stressed people are when times or needs suddenly take a pivot.
Hold a weekly quick-touch base. On Sundays, my husband and I will touch base to make sure we are in sync for the upcoming week. We will pull out our calendars and revisit who is dropping which kid off to which activity, who is picking up, and what we do when both of us have a conflict.
Keep in mind that it doesn’t always work out. Someone will forget something, get tied up somewhere, or a last-minute schedule change will happen. That is part of life, it happens. None of us are perfect, but we try our best and that is what matters.
Take Action
Take some time now to get yourself in the right mindset for the upcoming fall schedule. By using the ideas above, here is one strategy you can use:
Grab those schedules.
Organize your calendar first.
Take time to organize as a household.
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Hold a weekly quick-touch base.
You’ve got this!
👋 See you next time,
Jenny
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