How To Stay on Track and Organised

‘There is always time in the day for everything as long as you are able to organise your time effectively.”

“If you want something done, ask a busy woman”. Since starting a business, I have been told this multiple times. It seems that my suddenly busy life has become a source of entertainment for some people and they seem to wonder how I can get it all done. Now I am not about to confess a new idea that is going to change the way to live your life, but I do believe that the key to staying on track is to be organised and to understand what you can let go. Rome wasn’t built in a day and it is important to remember this when it feels as though you are juggling 101 things plus the kitchen sink.

So, how do I stay on track? In this article I am going to outline the steps I take each month, week and day to make sure that I keep everything in order whether it be teaching, coaching, training or my business. There is always time in the day for everything as long as you are able to organise your time effectively.

1. Prioritise

When you have lots of things going on it is important to know what is important and needs to be done now and what can wait. I tend to set time aside each month to plan the month ahead. I have a big schedule in which I write all my deadlines, must do’s, goals and social plans. This really helps me to visually understand exactly what it is I need to do.

When it comes to my day to day life, I always prioritise exercise by scheduling it in first thing in the morning. Training is important to me not only because I want to be fit for life and be able to perform on court, but it makes my mind clearer. I wake up and exercise by 6am. This may sound mad to some people but it makes sure that it’s done and that I do not have to think about fitting in a session later in the day when, usually, I become too busy.

My second priority is my work. It has been a challenge trying to juggle being a teacher and my business, but I think I have found a hack. I dedicate times of the day to school work, business work and me time. This way I feel as though I can tackle tasks one at a time and can keep clear distinctions between my working lives.

My third priority is my weekend. I try to keep this as free as possible so that I can spend time with family and friends. Working in a boarding school means that I rarely have time mid-week to socialise so I make sure to fit this in at the weekend. I have lately started to work ‘late’ on Friday’s preparing everything for the following week. This means that as soon as I close my classroom door, I can leave work behind me and not think about it until Monday! Result!

2. Lists

Who doesn’t love a list? But perhaps my love for them is a little bit OTT. I have lists on my fridge, in my diary, on my computer screen and on my desk. They are honestly my life saver. But there is logic in my madness!

Each evening before I leave work, I write a list of the things I need to do the next day. This gives me peace of mind as I know I won’t forget about the things I need to do and allows my mind to relax while I’m coaching or watching TV in the evening. Then in the morning, when I get into work, I colour code my list, highlighting the MUST DO FIRST’s and underlining the things that can wait until the next day. This allows me to prioritise my work and not feel guilty for not getting everything done! Also, how satisfying is it to tick something off your list and see lot’s of ticks at the end of the day?

3. Deadlines

Whether you are at school, in an office job, a full time mum or anything else in between, our lives revolve around deadlines. I used to find these really stressful as I would usually forget about them and then panic the day before when I realised I hadn’t input the grades on the school system or something similar. But since becoming VERY busy, I’ve understood that it is really important to be aware of deadlines and key dates to avoid the unnecessary stress so I have become best friends with my phone.

I admit that I like a physical diary that I can carry around with me in my bag, however my phone’s calendar has become so important to me when it comes to keeping deadlines, appointments and bookings in place. I set a reminder for each deadline/date a week before, and a day before, the event to make sure that I remember that it is upcoming. I have also colour coded my diary for school, business and personal so that I don’t feel too overwhelmed when I look at the monthly sea of to-do’s on the screen.

Side Note: I have also found it really helpful to schedule my workouts, gym time, runs and training to keep me accountable when I wake up in the morning and my mind ‘can’t be bothered’.

4. Allow time for you

This has been the hardest thing for me to learn, but it is so important to make room for some ‘me time’ and allow yourself to say no. If you are all go, go, go then you will eventually burn out and not be able to do the things you really want to do anyway.

Usually I spend my Sunday nights making time for me. I have a long hot shower (I wish I had a bath), light some candles and put on a face mask. I food prep for the week to make sure that my diet is balanced even when I’m super busy and while it’s cooking, I get my nose stuck in a good book or film. This leaves me ending the weekend relaxed and ready for the week ahead.

I try to also get to bed by 10pm everynight. I get up early so I know that I need to have a good night’s rest to make sure I am on top form every day. I turn off my phone and stop myself from using any technology before I go to sleep to make sure that I’m catching the best Z’s I possibly can.

But remember, ‘you time’ should be part of your everyday routine. Make sure to prioritise the things that make you feel good and don’t feel pressured to say yes to everything. If you know that you need to spend time exercising, relaxing or just catching up on things to make you feel better then do it – nothing is so urgent that it can’t wait until morning.

5. Mantra

These are my rules to live by. They are stuck on the cork board in my kitchen and are in my nightly journal and make me put things into perspective when I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed by my workload. I make sure that I live by these and stick to them as best as I can to make sure that I am happy in what I do. Try to make your own mantras and see how they can help you to stay on track.

‘Everything can wait until morning’

‘Exercise makes you happy’

‘Don’t mourn what you didn’t have’