Time Consuming Tasks and How to Reduce Their Impact on Your Life
You have a very busy life. Unfortunately, you have many demands and time is always of the essence. As you scramble to get the kids off to school and yourself off to work, you fret about piles of laundry, minor home repairs, and an accumulating collection of dishes that never ceases to end. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could wave a magic wand and all of your chores vanished? While that’s not possible, there are ways to get organized and free up time for fun things.
Home Repairs
Not everyone is good with a hammer, nor should they have one at all. It’s fine if you’re not a DIY kind of person. You work hard all week; why should you have to spend the entire weekend trying to figure out how to repair a leaky faucet? Thankfully, you don’t. A local handyman may just be the answer to your situation. Most handymen can perform a variety of minor home repairs and even put together that entertainment center still in its box, taking up space in your living room.
Dinner Time Made Easier
During the week you have a lot going on. Unfortunately, it doesn’t leave much time to prepare a homemade dinner. Here’s where planning ahead makes sense. Before going to the grocery store, make a list of the items you need to prepare 5 dinners. This way you’ll have everything on hand and save yourself a bit of extra running. You can include things such as a casserole and individual meatloaves and then cook them and freeze them. This way, all you need to do is take them out in the morning before work and then heat them in the oven that night. As an added bonus, you’ll eliminate the need for extra dirty dishes.
Doing the Laundry
If you have several children you know the piles of laundry that seem to collect in just a couple of days. The piles only add to the anxiety. Instead, get yourself a three-section laundry sorter with wheels. You can roll this from one room to the next, collecting the dirty clothes and sorting them as you go. When the laundry is done you can use the empty cart to sort the clothes by children, adults and sheets and towels. You’ll save time on both fronts.
The Night Before
Let’s face it, your mornings are anything but easy. Before going to bed, lay your clothes out, and your children’s clothes too. If they take their lunches to school, prepare those ahead as well. Set your programmable coffee maker to start 10 minutes before your alarm. You’ll wake up to the smell of your coffee ready for consumption and you and your family can dress, grab lunch, and head out the door.
House Cleaning
House cleaning can take many hours and cut into your downtime. Getting organized is the key to consuming less time. Creating a place for everything will eliminate clutter for good. In the kids’ rooms purchase a free-standing shelving unit that you can use with fabric bins. They are wonderful for not only containing the toys and small stuffed animals but also for hiding the clutter. A coat hanger bar in the living room by the front door and a shoe storage rack are also useful in eliminating the messy appearance and keeping your family organized.
Make One Trip
How many times do you run errands during the week and over the weekend? Each time you leave your home to take care of something you’re using up valuable time. Instead, combine items and make one trip. Stop for gas, pick up the dry cleaning, and do your food shopping during the same trip.
Your life is anything but boring. Instead of wasting time trying to do everything at once, have your spouse and children help with the chores and get organized. In the end, you’ll achieve a better life balance and feel less stressed at the office.