Do you ever end the week with a mile-long to do list, frustrated because you only accomplished about half of the things you wanted to? I have. But that was before I implemented this weekly routine that made me so much more productive. And it all started by setting a theme for each day.
Have you ever heard of
Let’s just say I decided to take a page out of my Mamaw’s book and experiment with creating a weekly routine using themes. I have to say
I’m willing to bet that, like me, you do a lot of the same tasks over and over. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, work, running errands, etc. And, you probably jump from one thing to another all day long. Moms are queens of multi-tasking. But maybe we should rethink that title.
Are you a task jumper?
Research shows that when we switch from task to task, called task-jumping, we are more likely to make errors and spend more time on each activity.
We can avoid that lost productivity and lower our stress (aka running around like a chicken with its head cut off), by building a weekly routine around themes so we do like activities on the same day.
For example, one theme day that I tested, which Stacy from Humorous Homemaking recommends, is Kitchen Day. A Kitchen Day is a day that is dedicated to cooking and baking for the entire week. You make any breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner items that you can in advance. For example, you can make foods like overnight oatmeal, salads, granola bars and shredded or diced chicken in advance. But if you want to try Kitchen Day, make sure you meal plan and grocery shop at least one day before. And, I found it helpful to create a list of items I could prep.
Customize theme days for your schedule
Between fixing meals for little people, putting them down for naps and drop-offs, I can only dedicate an hour and a half max to a particular task.
I know many people are able to dedicate a several consecutive hours per day to a particular theme. But that doesn’t work for me.
I treat theme days a bit differently. The theme serves as my focus for the day. So when I get extra minutes throughout the day, I spend them working on that day’s theme. I found this to be very effective.
And, Kitchen Day isn’t the only type of theme you can add to your weekly routine.
Theme Day Ideas
- Laundry Day
- Cleaning Day
- Work/Side Hustle Day
- Errands & Appointments Day
- Family Day
- Rest Day/Sabbath
- Administrative Day
- Decluttering Day
- Self-Care Day
- Outdoor Chores Day
- Home Maintenance Day
Think about the tasks you do regularly and set themes for your weekly routine. You may find that you are able to better focus and get more done simply by sticking to one overarching goal for the day.
Having a themed day doesn’t mean that you don’t do other things. Even on Cleaning Day, I will still make meals for my family (they keep getting hungry) and respond to a couple of emails (my clients like that sort of thing). But my focus is on cleaning.
Does your weekly routine have themes? I would love to hear about your experience. Leave a comment on the Defeating Busy Facebook page or email me at defeatingbusy@gmail.com.
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