Establishing Positive Routines

Carolyn presenting her popular seminar "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" One of my "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" (sign up here for a free copy) is having positive routines. Establishing and keeping positive routines is not always easy, but the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.  Great routines can help you be more rested, get where you need to be on-time, keep up on household duties and achieve your personal and professional goals. I hope you will find these tips useful in evaluating your own daily routines.

Take a good hard look at your current routines:  note what is working and what is not working. Are you rushing around every morning, creating a stressful environment for everyone in your wake? Or is sleep deprivation making you a bit, shall we say it? Crabby?  Many families struggle with the morning routine, which really starts with a good evening routine and getting enough sleep. Here are some tips for establishing a stress free evening routine: Have a set bedtime on most evenings for both yourself and your children. Plan for any evening activities to finish a least an hour before your bedtime.  At that time, start winding down by planning for the next day, taking care of loose ends and getting ready for bed.  Lay out your clothing for the next day, so that it is quick and easy to get ready. Some may even want to prepare breakfast for the next morning.  We all have more to do than we can accomplish most days. Jot down those unfinished tasks on a notepad or in your calendar for another day.  ​Before evaluating your morning routine, make sure you are planning for the day ahead the night before. Then look at exactly where the morning routine could be improved up for a smoother start to your day. If you need help establishing your routines, contact Carolyn for a complementary consultation and consider purchasing the Simply Organized Life routine worksheet.  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life"and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here.

Get Organized for Back to School

Photo Source: 
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/08/01/frugal-back-to-school-shopping/ 

I love the idea of a fresh start. If things have gotten cluttered over the summer, back to school is a great time to make a fresh start in your home. Why wait until January 2013? Here is what I am doing with my children to prepare for back to school before Labor Day rolls around: 1) Update the Family Binder If you do not have a family binder, or even know what it is, now is a great time to set one up. The family binder functions as one place where you can store all of those important papers that you will need to refer to in the future.  My family's binder is simply a three ring binder (that I already had) filled with babysitter information, school class information and information related to activities such as swimming or soccer. I like to use and reuse Avery's erasable tabs, so it is easy to switch from year to year. Take the time now to clear out the old and make room for the new.   2) Update the Calendar By now most schools will have their annual calendars posted on-line. While more detailed calendars are forthcoming, take the time now to post all those holiday breaks and random days off into your personal calendar.  Transferring the school, church or activity calendar into your own calendar as soon as it is available is a great habit to get into to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.  3) Start the Schedule Shift Most of us let our schedules slide a bit in the summer. If your kids have turned into night owls over the last two months, now is the time to slowly shift bedtimes earlier.  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Get Organized for Back to School" at My Urban Toddler in Saline, Michigan on August 17, 2012 (childcare is available, check with My Urban Toddler for details). Register with My Urban Toddler by Friday, August 10, 2012.

Sleep Makes All the Difference

I wish every morning went as smoothly as today. Being an organizer, things are generally laid out for the morning routine; but typically someone is tired, whiny and basically uncooperative. That someone is sometimes me, which is really not how I like to start a new day. 


So what was the difference today? We all (including myself) had a good night's sleep!


In my "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" seminar and essay (sign up here to receive a copy) I talk about how getting enough sleep impacts our executive function tasks which include reasoning, planning and decision making. These are tasks that are crucial in order to organize our time and our physical surroundings. Without enough sleep, we flounder in personal organizational tasks (not to mention that it makes us really whiny). 


So, if you want your morning routine to function better, take a close look at your evening routine. On a good day, my evening routine (including getting my kids ready for bed) starts at least two hours before I go to bed myself. 


Here are some simple tips for getting a good night's sleep:

• Create a tranquil escape by eliminating clutter where you sleep. 
• Turn off all electronic devices (including the television) at least an hour before you want to sleep. 
• Prepare for the day ahead by checking your calendar, laying out clothes and preparing the next day's breakfast or lunch. 
• Stick to a consistent bed-time routine. This helps children and adults sleep better. 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" at My Urban Toddler in Saline, Michigan on May 18, 2012 (childcare is available, check with My Urban Toddler for details).

Summertime!

Now that we are fully into July, summertime has officially arrived here in Michigan. My garden is in full bloom and looks so beautiful. The tree peony (photo below) blooms are long gone and have been replaced by lilies and lavender. This summer what are you doing to enjoy life more? Are you slowing down to "smell the roses" or "take in the warm sun"? Or are you finishing up some nagging projects? Remember this time is fleeting, just like the beautiful peony bloom. Take advantage of every day!

Routines

The holiday season was a real whirlwind for me this year. It seemed to blow in and blow right back out in a flash. While I enjoyed the season, getting back to my normal daily routines is reassuring. Now I seem to have a reasonable handle on the clutter that creeped in during the holidays, including the household paperwork. What routines do you need to reinstate now that the holidays are pretty much finished?

Travel Tip

My family and I just got back yesterday from a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We were there attending the wedding of the fine young man pictured at right, a cousin of mine. The gray haired man in the background happens to be my brother (I like to tease him about his gray hair).

Today's tip is intended to help you make the transition from a long vacation to "real life" easier. If at all possible, schedule an extra day at home following a vacation. This gives you time to unpack bags, readjust your body to your regular schedule and get back to your normal routines.

We love to travel, but even more, love coming home--especially after a 13 hour day in the car with a small child! Today's transition time has allowed me to throw in a load of laundry, readjust my child to being home and even download photos from the wedding!