Do you feel that you're constantly lagging behind? You know how this goes. Your work schedule is crazy, you've not been to the gym in weeks, and your laundry is growing like a mountain.
To gain control of your to-do list and manage stress in the coming months, try this tactic: Play a game that involves "jumping ahead."
You'll need to use your imagination and visualize how to save steps. For example, when you lift out a trash bag full of garbage from the kitchen, place four or five folded bags in the bottom of the can. Then, put the new bag in as usual.
"This simple step of getting ahead on garbage bags worked great for me last year," says a teacher we'll call Katelynn. "Once you try it, you'll never go back to hunting for a fresh bag each time you empty the garbage. And, for me, it triggered some new step-saving ideas."
Katelynn says she tried these tips last year to save time:
_ She bought two cartons of milk at a time. She also bought extra eggs and bread during one grocery trip. She says buying extra milk, eggs, and bread now saves at least one trip to the store every week.
_ She bought a hanging rack for clothes to place near her dryer. Now, she hangs everything up as it comes out of the dryer. She then puts all the wearable clothes in the closet. She used to sprawl clothes all over the bed before hanging, creating a mess.
_ She calls her elderly parents every Friday night. This way, she can see if they need any errands done over the weekend. She gets a head-start on planning her weekend by getting this information on Friday night.
"Naturally," says Katelynn, "everyone has their own agenda and their own needs for getting a jump on things. For example, I know a couple of people who buy family birthday presents on sale in January. These presents are stored in a special box to hand out during the year."
To figure out how you can jump ahead, look at areas of your life that are causing you stress. For example, if your bedrooms are piled high with clothes and other items, start loading up a trash bag of items to give away on a regular basis. You can spend five minutes a day loading the bags.
"I drive my bags to my local Goodwill store once a week," says a mother of five we'll call Janice. "They come out to my car and carry my bags of donations inside. They even give me a tax receipt."
Janice says her cluttered house was causing severe arguments between herself and her husband. "Now," Janice says, "he's working on the basement to help me de-junk the place. We do it in little time segments that total about two hours a week. We do it in spare moments that would otherwise be wasted. It's amazing how thinking ahead will help you tackle any problem."
Creating a simple new method of doing a chore makes you feel empowered. Start by listing what's getting on your nerves. Then, envision how you might change something you're doing to reverse the stress.
Start with questions such as: Should I leave home early to get a better parking spot? Should I start planning my vacation six months early?
Getting a jump on things becomes an enjoyable game to play.
