Do you feel like it’s impossible to get everything done?
Widowhood is so hard. There are so many things that are hard about it.
One thing it seems we all struggle with is staying on top of all of the things we were left to manage whether we want to or not.
Early in my widowhood days, I felt like a 100-pound brick was on my chest partly because I knew I had to go through all the things my husband left behind.
Tons of things left without an owner just sitting there.
As I’m sure you can relate, it felt paralyzing to see everything laying around unused, day after day.
Then I had the house, lawn, pool, and well myself to tend to. I was failing miserably.
I struggled to get much done. A shower felt stressful. Eating felt stressful.
I am a doer, always have been. NOT being able to do all the things, due to grief and the messiness, I was in complete overwhelm.
Sound familiar?
I’d feel guilty about not taking care of my late husband’s things, giving them a new home, added more stress and angst.
As a widow, do you struggle to manage all the things you HAVE TO DO?
Most days there isn’t time, energy, or inclination to do the fun things. Things that help us to feel happy and energized.
Rest assured, in this article I’m going to go over three steps to help you manage the must-do items and the want-to-do items on your list.
If you don’t have want-to-do items be sure to stick around, these three steps will help you to feel expansive and ready to add fun into your day!
We will cover:
How to take your time back and feel organized, using simple but effective tools to get more done in less time.
How to focus on the task at hand and multitasking.
The art and purpose of being present and in the moment.
Using these 3 steps will help you to feel more on top of your tasks, have more contentment, energy, and happiness in your day!
If you want more time to do the things you love doing, this is for you.
Want to feel connected with yourself?
This is for you.
Feeling time-compressed is something I hear a lot from my clients. They struggle to fit it all in.
Unfortunately, the thing that typically gets put on the back burner is taking care of themselves.
This leads to other issues that compound and grow over time.
If we as widows don’t take time for self-care and do things we enjoy doing, the side effects and ramifications are not good.
If we are running around with an empty cup, we are no good to anyone or anything.
And while we are on the subject of taking care of ourselves, I want to remind you, if you don’t take care of you, who will?
No one that’s who.
But that’s a subject for another day.
This is about time and how to have more in your day along with being energized and ready for some fun!
Do you have a process for managing tasks?
I’ve found a process that helps me stay on top of my clean home, organized drawers and cupboards, running a full-time business -Renegade Widow, where I mentor and coach widowed women, and have time to take care of myself.
If this sounds a bit braggy, I can assure you I still slip up and have to go back to the process I am about to share.
As a recovering multitasker, I want to share with you what I learned, early in my widowhood days, on how to manage my daily tasks.
These habits have served me very well and are a huge benefit to my day.
I am a list maker and prefer to do a little each day.
The key is all about helping you to find a routine that works for you to help you get in the right mindset to tackle whatever the day holds.
Planning your day is an essential piece to the puzzle of your happiest life.
It seems so easy, and it can be.
If that’s true, then why do some of us get more done while others can’t seem to make the bed and do the dishes?
The simplest things feel overwhelming.
Learning to take charge of your time and ultimately your day is one of the most precious gifts you can give yourself.
An organized home and life is an amazing way to live.
Ready to learn to live in expansion and high vibes?
Stop living rushed, anxious, and frustrated. Chaos in a home is chaos in life.
Keeping your late husband’s personal items around because you are too paralyzed to do anything with them is not healthy.
Now if you have special things you want to always hold on to, by all means, that is significant and feels right.
At some point, you will need to make your home “your home”.
Your home needs to be your safe haven.
If you have not cleaned out your home and made it your own, this could be the process to help you take that next step.
I needed help doing the sorting, donating, and selling. The help I found is where this process came from.
It was a GAME CHANGER.
So, let’s get to it!
Step 1:
How to take your time back
As a widow for me, everything felt so much harder. I could barely take a shower let alone get the house managed, my job, going through 30 years of life after Mark died. I had to learn to make list, manage the list, prioritize the list and execute the list.
In this order make this your go-to tool to get more done in less time.
Once a month make a comprehensive Monthly Master List of everything you want to accomplish.
Each day, from your master list, list ONLY the top 3 things you MUST get done that day.
Put an M or write MUST before the 3 must-do items. When you have a handle on the Must items, preferably completed or with the implementation plan, make a second list.
List 3 things you’d like to get done for the day
Put an L or write LIKE before the 3 like to-do items.
If it’s empowering, add why you want to do these Like to-do items.
Write how you will feel when you’ve completed these Like items.
Some examples are a walk or cleaning the refrigerator or maybe you want to call or text someone and wish them a good day, tell them you love them.
Step 2:
Commit to focusing on one thing at a time.
If it needs to be done in stages, break down the stages and cross them off as you go. You will be amazed at how effective this is.
As a recovering multi-tasker, I will tell you that doing multiple things at once, leaves you at a disadvantage.
It taxes our brain and causes us to feel scattered and unaccomplished.
When we jump from task to task our effectiveness is not as honed in.
That said, doing more than one thing at once, such as folding laundry and watching a learning Podcast or YouTube can make it more enjoyable. Just be careful to focus ONLY on those two things.
If you truly do struggle to complete your to-do tasks, give yourself grace. If making the bed has been a struggle, make that a Must Do task. It takes less than 5 minutes to make the bed. If you bounce around and don’t stick to simply making the bed, you’ll find that multitasking has you feeling stressed rather than accomplished.
When you finish making the bed (in under 5 minutes) and are able to cross it off of the Must List, you will feel so good.
The small action of crossing it off is empowering. Hone that skill. Once it’s a habit and you’re ready add some new tasks.
Keep your list going every day.
Before no time at all, you will have that peaceful, serene home you’ve always wanted.
Step 3:
Reward yourself for your achievements
After a week or two of sticking to the process, sit back and enjoy the fruit of your labor.
Reward yourself with something nice such as a new candle or a pedicure. Maybe something rewarding to you is the permission and grace to take a nap or enjoy reading a magazine on the porch.
Maybe you’d like to take yourself out for a nice salad and glass of wine.
Get in the habit of doing nice things for yourself.
How do you feel?
Are you encouraged? If you struggle to get started on the things you have wanted to do for a very long time?
Are you encouraged that even if you have your life pretty organized this process can help you get those seemingly forgotten, nagging pesky projects completed?
If you’ve been wanting to clean out the pantry, once you get it done, have fun going to purchase all new spices and seasonings. Plan to make yourself and a friend if you like a lovely dinner in your freshly cleaned shiny kitchen.
This is a simple process, and you will get where you want to go if you stick with it.
To help you along, I’ve created a mini-course, chock full of trainings, tips, tricks, and resources to support taking your life back!
I know I certainly had to have help.
Better Days Blueprint is based on exactly things I learned the hard way; things I wish I had when I was trying to figure out who I was supposed to be or wanted to be.
Once I embraced the idea of making my home “my home” my heart felt light and eager to live for myself for the first time in my entire life.
It was fun and lovely.
Better Days Blueprint is full of over 200 hours of work, planning, creating, and designing to make it fun, powerful, and beautiful.
You’ve likely been seeing emails and posts about this Powerhouse Mini-Course, created to help you REALLY take charge of your life.
Better Days Blueprint is a Self-Study, 4-Lesson, Empowerment Course
Included:
Modules
Workbooks
Writing and Journaling Tools and Activities
Tons of bonuses
The price is ridiculously low at only $24
You’ll get all the modules, activities, fillable workbooks, printable PDF’s, affirmations, journaling prompts, and more!
They are easy to complete, either print them or you can fill them in on any of your devices, phone, computer, tablet.
Click below to sign up:
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