It’s September 1st! Happy Fall! I love September. I love getting back on track with schedules and structure, working on projects, hitting writing goals, and of course all the fun that comes with fall—hayrides, apple picking, pumpkin spice everything, the leaves changing, walking on trails, doing fall crafts with the kids, and more.
The Busyness of Fall
Every year when we hit September, we enter our busiest season of the year. I think most of us do. Our school schedule is full, our family days are packed, and our church and growth group schedules are overflowing. Then there’s all the work goals Matt and I have—book deadlines, writing projects, and more. If we’re not careful, it gets overwhelming really fast. I have to really protect my time and make every minute of every day count.
The easiest way I do this is so simple, you’ll probably laugh. But it’s the system that works for me time and time again! Here it is: I write down my to-do list for the day with a little empty circle next to it. When I finish that task, I check off the circle. It sounds so simple, but honestly, it helps me stay on track every day because otherwise my mind whirls and twirls with all that I need to be doing. Without a to-do list for the day, I can spin my wheels the entire day and work hard but not actually get anything accomplished for the day.
I’ve used a lot of planners over the years, and I love them. I have one that I’m using right now for the calendar. Honestly, though, what has worked even better for me is a clean sheet of notebook paper every single day, either loose-leaf or in a notebook. There’s something about a clean sheet of paper that represents a new, fresh day with endless possibilities.
My Favorite Tool
One of my most favorite thing in the world is spiral notebooks. I use them for everything!! I use them for meal planning, homeschool assignments, budget work, meetings at church, planning dates with Matt, book project deadlines and tasks, and so much more. I have found that they are absolutely invaluable. The other great thing about them is that they are cheap! I always buy a huge stack in the summer when they’re on sale for school. I just went to Staples yesterday, where they are currently $.35 and bought thirty of them (because that was the limit.)
Simple Hacks
I have found over the years that sometimes the simplest ideas have the most profound impact on our lives in the area of getting things accomplished. So that’s my hack for getting more accomplished this fall. Grab a spiral notebook and write down a to-do list every single day.
What are your hacks for meal planning, chores, getting more accomplished, keeping the house clean, etc? I’d love to know!
For More Encouragement
For more encouragement on this topic, check out my post, 3 Things I Do Every Night before Bed.
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