You have a week off work to oragnise your life... what are you doing?

[OnlyHerefortheBiscuits]

Somewhere around 2022, my get up and go… got up and went.

I want to take a week off work, to set up my days so that they work out of the box if you know what I mean—more organised, less forgetful, and free from distractions that don’t serve me (looking at you, social media and unavailable men).

I want to actually have a plan for the 8 days off so that I don't waste them! I'll prob take the final day as rest.

Help me brainstorm? Here's what I have so far:

1. Map out a 12-week meal plan (no thinking, just follow the shopping list and cook what today says knowing you have whats needed in the larder)
2. Map out a realistic exercise routine.
3. Deep clean the house—start fresh after the 8 days.
4. Plan a 6-month budget to get me to a better place.
5. Gather things to sell or donate.
6. Work out which podcasts worth subscribing to. No more mid-walk fumbling—just press play and enjoy the latest episode.
7. Paperwork, you know the kind you have to keep but make it organised not just stuffed in a drawer.
8. Consolidate my pensions
9. Establish "laundry days" ; bedsheets on a Monday, my clothes on a Sat, dog stuff on a Friday or whatever

....?

Anyone done a reset like this? What am I missing?

Context: single, live alone, one dog.

Id add

Review clothing / wardrobe
Declutter house to make maintenance easier.

I am about to do similar. I have a month but also two small kids.

Proper planning ahead of time is critical though so when the time comes ypu can just get it done.

I'd also add a treat in on day 8 as a reward 💝

Book smear, hair cut and the dentist

Check I'm on the best deals for TV, gas etc

Huge Vinted upload. At least 5 things a day for the week

Clear every cupboard of crap

Buy birthday etc cards for the year for everyone

Declutter, declutter, declutter

Book opticians

Look through Eventbrite and put free and cheap activities in your calendar so you have plans and things to look forward to

Sign up to a group exercise / sport, canoe / kayaking / ramblers whatever but something you are locked in to do.

Probably worth a think about why you fall into bad habits and address the root reason.

Realistically scrolling MN and reading on the sofa until the last day when I panic and regret I haven't done more

I'd need a month not a week to get through all that!! Declutter, sort and deep clean a room is realistically a day per room.
Any minor DIY jobs e.g. light bulbs that need replacing, screws that need tightening etc.
Review Direct Debits and things like insurance policies.
Review savings accounts and move to ones with higher interest rates.
Review broadband / TV / phone packages to try and get better deals.

I'd love to do this!

I would prioritise in this way:

1. Declutter every cupboard, box, sideboard in the house and cleaning everything too. Not forgetting garage and garden.
2. Big vinted/ebay/facebook upload of things to sell, trip to charity and trip to tip.
3. Work on schedules going forward - cleaning, meal planning, exercise, dog walking
4. work on budget - look at all contracts to make sure I have the best deals, making a note of renewals etc.
5. A day for appointments that never get done - hairdressers, smear, opticians,
6. One day as a treat day (last day) either go out and do something I always wanted to do or just a day at home watching tv

Look at Minimal Mom for decluttering tips - she’s a minimalist but that doesn’t have to be your aim - she’s great.

Ooh I like this thread!
If you're a gardener, I'd plan your planting for the year!
Get the windows, gutters etc sorted, car valeted

All sounds good. I would prioritise those things into absolute must do’s, and can take my time over the eight days. Some won’t take that long really, others may need some dedicated time. Mix them up a bit as well, deep clean a couple of rooms, have a break, then do some paperwork, so it’s a mix of physical and mental. If you can, be a bit ruthless as well with the clear out and filing as well. Get some files bought and sorted for paperwork, then hopefully it can become a once a year rainy afternoon sort out, ditching old stuff, putting in new.

If you can stay off social media, it will give you lots of time😁 Enjoy a walk with the pooch as well. We do a bedding/towel wash once a week, there’s only two of us and clothes, towels get hung up. Make sure you have always got food staples in, and once you are sorted, do some batch cooking and freeze, or use a slow cooker and do a couple of days meals to have with something different. It will give you a break from cooking fresh each day, without having to resort to ready meals. Good luck👍

Definitely declutter, maybe watch Marie Kondo’s Tidying up on Netflix in the days before the time off to inspire you! Maybe have a plan to do a charity shop run on Wednesday morning and a nice lunch to celebrate to motivate you and give you a deadline.

For the cleaning, look at ‘the organised mum method’ - start with the Facebook page and see if it’s for you but she has a set of podcast guided cleans on Patreon, you can get a free 7 day trial. I tried a ‘clean the bathroom in 15mins’ one at the weekend - I didn’t manage it but was much quicker than normal.

Oh fuck it! Do something fun!

I honestly think one of the biggest problems we have is this competitive need for organising a kitchen draw or thinking we will be happy if our knickers are separated from our all matching socks. We won't.

Take a week off and do something bloody stupid instead.

Write out your routine - map out chunks of time for exercise / work / self care / home admin / cleaning / see friends / family / DIY

Not all are daily / weekly - some could be eg 1st Saturday of the month.

Plan your ideal / calm week's / month's structure from waking to sleep.

Then if I miss eg an exercise chunk due to work / kids social life, I don't scrabble around rearranging things to fit it in I just move on.

Removes LOTS of brain power and stress as all the jobs have time scheduled to tackle them so you make a note it needs doing then forget about it until you hit the relevant window.

Hire a skip and have a massive clear out of every room. Bin all of the old, broken toys and sort out the stuff that could be sold.

Clear out the larder and chuck all the old stuff from in there too. Ditto the shed.

Then do a massive deep clean.

Would try and fit lots of lovely sunny dog walks in too. As breaks from my hard graft.

Well I had nearly two years off starting from March 2020 and I did fuck all on my list 😆

More than 15min to clean a bathroom @JamMonster ?? my housework standards must be pretty low!!

Snap!!!!

All the above could be done in a few evenings, maybe a wet Sunday.

Use your holiday for something more productive, like a holiday?

I am doing this end of march.
I get way too distracted at home and it's shows. Now just me and DD at home so now excuses just too much stuff in a small house.

Make sure you plan some nice things too, cinema, facial, haircut, theatre, meal out, visit the cafe, nice walk.

I have a cupboard that would make a lovely, tiny walk in wardrobe, and I'd get the rails and shelves to set it up.
I've cleared it before, but it's become a dumping place again ☹️.

Decluttering should be a priority. 'Stuff' is such a time and morale sap. Having a clear and clean home will help re-energise you.

This.
Then hate myself for being crap

For Meal planning I like the Batch Lady cookbook - she’ll tell you what to buy, and give you recipes to cook in bulk and keep in the freezer so you’re not cooking every day. If you spend one afternoon of your time off batch cooking you could have a months worth of freezer meals waiting.

Prioritize your list, it's pretty long.

I would say getting my paperwork in order and filing things when I get them and going through them every so often has made the biggest difference. I count digital receipts and coverages in this too. When I need something, I know right where it is. My tax docs are put in a tax folder right when they come in so I just take that file to accountant when it's tax time. Vital docs are in fireproof safe. It's saved me time and money.

Have you got ADHD or anything or are you Neutotypical? This influences my reply which is why I ask...

Most people learnt in Covid that it's not about having time off that's stopping people doing all the things... For me it's about putting down electrical equipment and forcing a doing hour.

Some more ideas: Repot house plants/top up soil, make jam/batch cook, stock up lader with non perishables so have at least a week of edibles if I was stuck at home for any reason. Updating wills and letter of wishes, all Dr checks/opticians/dentists, shred old paperwork/bills. Tidy the "crap drawer" out.