11 LISTS TO HELP YOU GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER IN 2019

Happy 2019 you guys!!

This is my first post of the new year so I thought I'd start off sharing eleven lists that you can use to help you get your life in order for 2019. You may have read my post on creating a Home Management Notebook years ago. It was great at the time, but I thought I'd update you on what I use now to simplify our lives and keep intentionality as the focus.

Over the years I've tried bullet journaling, as well as just using a monthly planner. To be honest, the bullet journal was fun but it was a lot of work. It didn't make my life simpler and took too much time to create every month. Using a planner worked fine, but for the most part, I only used my planner for scheduling appointments. Now I can schedule appointments on my phone and take advantage of the super useful reminders.

My current system seems to work best for me, so I'm excited to share it with you today.

These eleven lists can be written down in a notebook, on your iPad, laptop, or on a phone app. I use Wunderlist on my phone (it's free) as well as Notes on my laptop. They are super easy to reference and I check them at least once a week, sometimes a couple of times per week. If you don't properly store your lists all in one place, there's no point in creating them. If you can't find them, you won't use them. Also, be flexible with your lists. Feel free to change them at any time. You want them to work for you so they need to be custom to your needs. I update mine regularly.

11 LISTS TO HELP YOU GET YOUR LIFE IN ORDER IN 2019

BIRTHDAY / ANNIVERSARY LIST

This list is pretty self-explanatory but I feel like this is probably the most important list I use. Along with the date, I'll also add the age of the person or the year of the anniversary. Last year my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary so as you can imagine, that's a huge milestone to celebrate. It's also helpful for remembering the ages of my nieces and nephew.

WEEKLY CLEANING LIST

Ok. Before you create a weekly cleaning list, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. For example, what do I need to be cleaning on a daily and weekly basis in order to be happy and comfortable? Your cleaning needs might be different than mine, so you'll have to decide what you're willing to live with before you make your list. Be realistic. You are the keeper of your own home so you'll know what's best for you and your family.

"QUICK, SOMEONE IS COMING OVER" CLEANING LIST

I laugh every time I look at this list. Why? Before we sold our first home, we had guests over constantly. At least once a week, sometimes more. Some were scheduled, some were not. I remember scrambling at times to get the house clean in thirty minutes before someone would arrive and would end up getting distracted cleaning something that the guests would never notice (kitchen backsplash) and then missing some major obvious areas (like the toilet!). If only I had prepared this list back then, my stress could have been better managed or drastically decreased.

These would include things like putting away dishes, wiping down the kitchen counter, cleaning the bathroom sink and toilet, picking up anything on the floor, spot cleaning the floors, sweeping or vacuuming (if you have time), and taking out the garbage. By doing those few things, you can fool just about anyone into thinking your space is always clean and tidy.

WEEKLY TO-DO LIST

These would be things that will SO help your mental clutter. Things you know you need to get done each week and when they're done, you'll feel so accomplished. They would include things like washing towels and sheets, paying the bills, cleaning out your purse/wallet, watering the plants, scanning documents, cleaning out your email inbox, etc. Basically, the adulting stuff. I'd also add completing any leftover tasks from the week such as thank you notes, errands, and grocery shopping. You can also plan out your week with this list. For example, planning out your workouts, your budget, your meals, and reviewing your goals. I'd also include some self-care such as trimming and filing your nails and trying a new face or hair mask. Some might whiten their teeth or apply self-tanner. There is a lot you could add to this list depending on how much you'd like to get done.

Depending on how I'm feeling that day or week (chronic exhaustion among other things, wipes me out), I might separate some of those tasks into two or even three days just so I'm not overloading myself.

DAILY CLEANING AND TO-DO LIST

If you want to be super productive, write a one to two item to-do list every day. I'd recommend writing it out in a notebook or 3x5 index card or even a post-it, the night before for the items you'd want to get done the next day. You want to have regular success so if you pick any more than three tasks, you might feel burdened, overwhelmed, and unaccomplished.

For your daily cleaning routine, Unf*ckYourHabitat recommends a 20/10 rule. This means you clean for twenty minutes, then take a ten-minute break and you can complete up to two or three 20/10 chunks in a day if you'd like. Your cleaning could include wiping down the kitchen counter, putting dishes into the dishwasher, picking up clutter from your dining room table, etc. By taking only twenty minutes each day, you can take care of a lot without it cutting into the rest of your day or night. You can quickly put something away and get immediate satisfaction. It's so much easier to maintain a clean environment spending twenty minutes a day on tidying up, than spending hours and hours once a month and feeling burned out and overwhelmed. It will also be easier to build a habit using the 20/10 rule since it's such a short amount of time.

WHEN DID I LAST... LIST

This is one of my favorite lists. This list includes everything from the last time you changed your toothbrush, to getting an oil change, to cleaning your car, to flipping your mattress, to checking the smoke alarms, to servicing your wedding rings, to animal vaccines, etc. I love this list because then I don't have to remember all of the details of all of the things I should be doing but can't remember any of it.

MEAL PLANNING LIST

For those of you who know me in real life, you know I am not a good cook. I can make a mean salad and yes, I can follow a recipe, but Lord knows I have a lot to learn in the kitchen. SO, meal planning for me is huge. It allows me to have something healthy prepared for my husband and me to eat other than a bowl of cereal. If I'm meal prepping in advance, maybe by one week, then I'm more efficient when I'm grocery shopping and don't buy extra items I won't use. While this is one of the lists that I use, to be transparent, I could definitely be using this list more consistently.

BOOKS TO READ LIST

If one of your goals is to read more books this year, I highly recommend keeping a list on hand. Once you're done with a book, you can just pick the next book on your list. It's super easy and you won't have to keep the title of the book or the name of the author on the forefront of your brain. It can be referenced and you won't have to use any extra brain power.

SELF-CARE LIST

When you're in a negative headspace, having a self-care list is vital for quickly and effectively taking control of your health. Yes, you can scroll through Pinterest for ideas. However, if you have a list ready, you'll have it when you need it most. The only suggestion I'd give you is to ask yourself two questions before you look to your self-care list. Are you tired? And, are you hungry? If both of those answers are no, then I'd refer to your self-care list.

PACKING LIST

There are plenty of packing list templates online so I suggest you find one that will work for you and allow you to tweak. Depending on how long you will be gone, and where you're going, your packing list will likely vary from trip to trip. However, items that you'd take with you no matter where you'd go, should be on a standard packing list. You could also use this list when you're leaving a location and don't want to forget something halfway across the world.

PASSWORDS LIST

I've had a passwords list for years and about eight or nine months ago, somehow the hand-written list got misplaced. It was awful! I searched high and low throughout the RV and never found it. You can't imagine how long it took to update everything and reset all of the passwords. By having this list, you'll never have to reset your password again because you lost it, like me. 

BONUS LIST

This one is for free, but I thought I'd share a bonus list with you that I use on a regular basis. You might find it helpful so here we go.

WORK LIST

At my desk at the office, inside of a plastic page protector, I have a list of all of my duties I need to get done each month for my job. Every month I have a new set of patients to see and a new set of tasks. I have it set up for things I need to get done at the beginning of the month, middle, and what to wrap up at the end of the month. If I don't do the beginning of the month tasks first, I can't move on to the next on the list. Using dry-erase markers, I cross off each task once completed and then at the beginning of every month I use an eraser to wipe the page protector clean.

Why do I do this? I get what I call a "fuzzy brain" sometimes. I'll get stuck looking at my computer screen in the middle of the afternoon (between that 2-4pm slump) wondering how to move forward with my next task. Sometimes I'm feeling overwhelmed and sometimes I just have brain fatigue. Since I am so organized and all of my tasks are laid out in front of me, I literally cannot miss anything unless it's intentional.

What I love about this list is it can be used for just about anything. As long as it requires step by step instructions, you can create this list. If you are anything like me, I guaranty you this can only help you!
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I'd love to know if you have used similar lists and where you store them so let me know in the comments below. Also, if you have other tips for how to get your life in order for the new year, I'd love to know!

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