If getting out the door (with everything you need on time) is a struggle for you, you’re in good company! Our days and lives can be busy and fast paced, so as we approach the “back to school” season and shift to fall we wanted to share a few ways to help you get out the door.
Visual Checklist
Cassy’s list for her family!
Whether you are a college student, mama of littles, school teacher, or empty nester - when you leave the house there are likely a few items you generally always need with you! The best way we’ve found to get in a habit of having what you need, is practice! There’s no easy button for this, but creating a visual checklist can ease the mental load. Make it specific to you and post it somewhere you are forced to see it regularly - somewhere like your refrigerator, by the door you leave your house from, on your phone, or even on your smart home device (like a Google Home or an Alexa Echo Show). The point is - post it somewhere you will see it every day!
Bonus: Ask ChatGPT to help you create a simple printable visual checklist for you (and your family) in Canva. Then print and laminate (or use a clear page protector sleeve), so you can check items off each day with a dry erase marker! It doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to prompt you to remember your daily essentials.
Put Things in Their Place
We won’t stop preaching this message: everything in it’s place and a place for everything. This really is the simplest way to cut down on wasted time searching for misplaced items. If you share your home with other lovely humans (who might possibly sometimes forget to put things where they go 🙈), this can take a little training.
Decide together, and designate a PLACE where keys go EVERY time you come home.
Decide together, and commit to ALWAYS putting phone chargers, cords, and portable chargers back where you got them if you take them on the go.
Decide together, and PRACTICE putting your work bag, backpacks, or purse in the same spot EACH day.
If this feels too type A or rigid, try creating a “drop zone” where any/all of your commonly used items can be put to avoid cluttering other areas of the home.
If you are someone who frequently uses a variety of different bags or purses - have you seen the new “purse bowl” trend? Could it work for you? Give it a try!
Be Prepared
Basically, let “night you” work for “morning you”. At the end of the day you are likely tired, but imagine how good it would feel to wake up the next morning a few steps ahead. Try to figure out which tasks you can do the night before: meal prepping, packing a bag, choosing an outfit, presetting your coffee maker, etc. Incorporating a “closing shift” in your home can be a great way to end the day with tomorrow morning in mind! Some folks also find it really helpful to do a pen & paper brain dump in the evening (or at the end of the work day) as a way of clearing their mind of the to-dos, worries, and thoughts. Bonus: Always try to one gratitude on your list as you close your day!
Frequently Forgotten Items
Depending on your season of life, you may want to consider a sort of emergency back up supply of essential items you might need in your car or throughout your day. For me this looks like: a couple extra diapers, wipes, a beach towel, grocery bags, and bandaids. If you can’t keep track of your sunglasses - leave 1 pair in your car and keep another pair at home for walks/being outside. Summer months can be far too hot to leave snacks in the car, but a couple granola bars or packs of crackers could solve a hunger meltdown in the milder months.
Take a Deep Breath
We all forget our wallet, arrive late, and get our schedules mixed up. It’s going to happen - and the good thing is, it happens to all of us. Sometimes it’s because of things out of our control and other times it is because we failed to pre or remember - either way, it’s ok! It really is. As much as we believe in order and routines, we are not robots.
Sometimes the beauty of being unprepared reveals itself in experiencing the kindness of a stranger or friend who can provide what you need or fill in the gap.
Some days you will be the prepared and organized one, and other days you will be the grateful recipient.
Need a bit of help getting organized?
Our team is ready to help!
