From Surviving to Thriving: Transform Your Weekly Routine
Ever find yourself buried under an avalanche of to-dos, torn between what you want to achieve and the endless tasks you need to handle just to stay afloat? I've been there too.
This is how it looks like for me:
What I truly WANT to do: Workout, meditate, read, journal, work on my goals and build my dream life.
What I NEED to do: Cook, clean the house, do laundry, work, answer emails, run errands, manage finances, tend to family and chores.
It's all about balance, right? But sometimes, the essentials take over, leaving minimal room for self-care and personal growth.
I used to end my weeks feeling like I just survived. I looked back and realized I barely did anything that was pushing me towards my long term goals.
I told myself I had no time and energy. Too many things to do. And it’s true, there are so many things to do, and you probably can’t get rid of most.
But I knew I had to do something, I needed something to change. There had to be room for improvement. There always is. So I took action.
A few years back, I embarked on a mission to revamp my routine. I aimed to make those non-negotiable, repetitive tasks as efficient as possible. The goal? To take back wasted time and energy that I could then use to do the things I truly wanted to do.
If you’re ready to revamp your own routine, I’m going to share with you the 3 things I did that have created the most positive change in my life:
1 - Creating reusable Weekly Meal Plans:
I created a 5 week meal plan with their corresponding grocery lists. I repeat it over and over again until I’m ready to create a new 5 week plan.
Invested time: 4 hours
What happens after? Every Friday I take the corresponding weekly meal plan and make any necessary adjustments to my pre-made grocery list.
👩🏻💻 The tool I created:
Meal Planner and Automated Grocery List
Save meal ideas and load ingredients automatically into your grocery list! My spreadsheet solution to the number one thing that was stressing me out ... every single week.
2 - Coming up with a Cleaning Routine:
I came up with a daily, weekly and yearly cleaning routine that I can mindlessly follow ... literally forever.
Invested time: 2 hours
What happens after? Instead of waiting to have a sink full of dishes or a basket full of laundry to do something about it, I crafted a meticulous plan adding small routine tasks into my daily and weekly schedule.
I know exactly when was the last time I cleaned my fridge, vacuumed my couch and deep cleaned my closet … and I know exactly when it’s time to do it again.
👩🏻💻 The tool I created:
3 - Planning my week in advance:
I’m committed to taking 20-30 minutes to carefully plan the upcoming week. Making sure to include tasks that will help me reach my long term goals.
Invested time: (20-30 minutes per week)
What happens after? I know exactly what to do, when to do it and why I’m doing it. I can assign blocks of time to work on certain tasks each day.
Example: I only check and answer emails at pre-planned times of day. That way I’m not switching back and forth between activities.
👩🏻💻 The tool I created:
What can you do now?
- Take the time to think about your daily and weekly routine.
- Is there anything that you can do more efficiently?
- Can you come up with a plan/process/routine?
Take the time to do this in every aspect of your life and I promise the benefits are endless.
Imagine having more time for what matters most to you. It's doable, you just have to put in some work at the beginning and enjoy the rewards later.
I hope some of these tips and tools can help make your life easier and more organized.
I wish you the best in your planning journey!
Love, Pao 😊👩🏻💻✨