How to Create Structure to Maximize Time

How to Create Structure To Maximize Your Time

April 8th - By Genevieve

Hello lovely readers! Today’s post is a bit of a niche topic, as it refers more specifically to the current pandemic situation. I want to discuss how we can find structure for ourselves when we feel like we are lacking it. This is a struggle that I am currently working through and I’m sure that many of you are feeling the same way. I have recently been informed that I will not be returning to school for the remainder of my senior year. This was a state mandate in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. It has put me in a tricky spot, one where I am feeling the need for more order in my day-to-day life. These are a few of the ideas I’ve come up with to bring back a sense of stability and structure.

Create a Morning Routine

To me, this is an essential step for finding purpose in each day. If I can create a system for myself that sets me in a positive and productive mindset, there’s nothing in the world standing between me and conquering the day ahead. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve developed a routine that works well for me. I did this by testing out different morning habits to see how they set me up for my day.

It came down to 3 main things:

– having something to look forward to first thing in the morning

– making a plan for the day ahead

– moving my body

I wake up each morning, comforted by the thought that as soon as I get out of bed, I can walk to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee. I love starting the morning this way because it gives me a mindless task with a yummy and comforting reward. Like most people, I hardly jump out of bed like a ray of sunshine. Morning conversations are out of the question before I drink my coffee and I prefer to spend the bulk of my morning with myself.

With my coffee in hand, I sit down and write in my bullet journal. I use this time to plan for the day ahead and decide which tasks need to get done. Since this pandemic started, I’ve been going easier on myself and my productivity levels. I normally only give myself three to five tasks that I know I will be able to get done. Setting unrealistic expectations will only leave you feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. It is so important to be honest with yourself and know your limitations.

Moving my body is the last leg of me-time for my morning. Lately I have loved doing yoga as my morning movement. Getting your body moving by no means has to be an intense workout, it can be as simple as stretching your muscles or going for a leisurely walk.

Have Daily "non-negotiables"

Recently, I was listening to the podcast Gals on the Go and they brought up the idea of having a list of “non-negotiables”. I interpreted this as a short list of promises to make to myself everyday. Having two or three things that you hold yourself responsible for every single day will give each day a sense of purpose and help you work towards your goals.

Here are some examples:

– exercise

– read

– journal

– work on a passion project

– learn something new

– cook at least one healthy meal for yourself

– have a conversation with a friend or relative

– play with your dog

I’m very excited to integrate this into my everyday life. There are so many projects and dreams I have, but I lack the discipline to get started on them. I’m confident that having a set of daily promises to myself will help me find structure and make progress towards my dreams.

Use a Planner

I’m sure that this time will come as no surprise, I am very transparent about my love of bullet journaling. Although, I know that bullet journaling is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nonetheless, I encourage the use of some form of day planner or calendar. Having your tasks, goals and events written down gives you more incentive to get them done. From personal experience, I’ve noticed that it clears a lot of space in my head; I can simply write something down that needs to get done and it is out of my brain. I can refer to my list of to-do’s when needed, without worrying about forgetting something.

If you are interested in a more creative approach to planning, feel free to check out my posts about how I use my bullet journal.

Bring Back Your Calendar

For my family, having a collaborative calendar is essential. We keep it in our kitchen, each of us writes down dates where we have obligations and it keeps us organized. But lately, it’s brought more disappointment than anything else; either it shows cancelled events or it’s left completely blank. To remedy this, we’ve started writing down days that we’ll be helping with projects around the house. We have also come up with a plan to assign days to cook dinner for the household. I’m thankful to be quarantining with a fairly large group, my dad, my brother as well as our significant others.

If you are alone for this season, you can use a calendar to write out dates for things that you would like to work on. For example, if you’ve been itching to clean out your closet, put it on your calendar. Writing it out and giving an obligation a date will keep you more inclined to do it. More than anything, this has given my household a boost of morale, it has reminded us that our calendar doesn’t need to be empty and proves that we are more than capable of finding purpose during this time of uncertainty.

I hope that you could find your own, adapted use of your calendar. Here are some ideas:

– Cleaning schedule

– Cooking schedule

– Dates assigned for certain passion projects

– Movie night, entertainment night, family meal, exc.

– Workout schedule

Thank your indulging in this article, I hope it gave you some inspiration. Sometime we get so caught up in relying on work, school or pre-existing routines to keep us grounded. In reality, those are just systems that have fallen in place over time. Once we make a plan or at the very least, a series of tasks, we can make a schedule and work on it from there.

This doesn’t need to be a time of productivity either, your goals can be internally focused: improving your mental health, resting or embarking on a spirituality journey. Each person is going to deal with the circumstances in their own way, there isn’t going to be a single course of action that is “right” or “most productive”. The world has never experienced something like this, we have to give ourselves grace and allow the time to grow and adapt. Eventually, we will work through this and create routines and systems that work well for our own situations.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to continue the conversation, I’m more than happy to collaborate and discuss.

Until next time,

Genevieve <3