Looking back at the last week or two, what are some of the hiccups in your day that really set you back? Small annoyances or big problems that slowed you down, made you cranky, threw off your schedule and your flow?
Now, look again, and ask “Could this have been avoided?” Some challenges can not be avoided, but many CAN BE avoided with some forward planning and good routines.
Last week, a friend / client mentioned that she liked last week’s article because there was NOT a call to action. đŸ™‚ That made me laugh. But this week, friends, is all about action.
Imagine how having routines that work for you can actually help you avoid emergencies. It is possible. When our needs are taken care of, we are more ready for whatever life brings us.
I am not here to tell you to do what I’ve done (ever!). I’m sharing my routines as examples of how we choose to handle routine tasks to avoid inconveniences later. These have been created over time in response to challenges. So, Where Do You Stumble? and Imagine where routines could help you stumble less!
Examples of routines to avoid personal inconveniences!
- Know your re-stocking and re-order levels for regularly used products.
- Weekly, I re-stock toilet paper and tissues and re-fill the hand-soaps at all the sinks in the house.
- Later this week, I will place my monthly order (first of the month) for my eco-friendly cleaning supplies that get delivered to my house.
- Same goes for grocery items which we now mostly have delivered. We add items to the grocery orders when they are low, BEFORE we actually run out of stuff.
- Handle regular maintenance tasks regularly.
- Fall is here, and there are a handful of tasks that we take care of every Fall. Some, like the furnace check-up and carpet cleaning, are already done, but I think we need to look at the gutters for cleaning soon.
- If you need more ideas, click here for a blog article from me on just this topic!
- Set up a schedule for bill-paying and personal business items.
- Years ago, a client mentioned paying ALOT in late fees every month on his bills. I asked him when he set time aside to pay bills and was met with a blank stare. We won’t look at budgeting and bill paying today, but I will say that scheduling time to regularly take care of personal business means we miss fewer deadlines, pay fewer late fees, spend less time on the phone with customer service, etc.
- What other tasks can you make routine, to save you time later?
- I fill up my gas tank once a week on a planned errand run (or when we travel, of course), so I don’t have to make unplanned stops. Because as much as I used to tell myself I would remember in the morning to leave early and stop for gas on my way to work, I would forget.
And what about, routines to avoid emergencies professionally?
- You know your work! I will not assume to tell you how to do your job,
but we can ask the same questions professionally that we ask personally: Where do I stumble? And How can I avoid the stumbles in the future? - For example, Mondays and Tuesdays I am writing my article and newsletter, like today. But Thursdays host a block of recurring tasks for my business.
- On Thursday mornings, I: do my bookkeeping and pay my bills; check in around upcoming presentations, confirming details and sending invoices; check in on my website comments and social media, etc. All of these tasks keep me ahead of challenges and course corrections I need to make to keep things running smoothly.
On the other side of routines, I love the flexibility that comes when an emergency actually does arise. Let’s say I or a family member gets sick, or I am called away out of town on short notice. Perhaps my routine tasks don’t happen for a few days or even a week. Guess what? No biggee. When we regularly take care of things, emergencies or blips in our schedules don’t throw us off too much.
Your action items this week is to ask yourself: Where Do I Stumble? Where could routines help me to stumble less! Now, get busy crafting those routines to help you avoid emergencies tomorrow!