Who is the first one to get cut from the priority list when a loved one has an unexpected event? You! We innately want to care for others in their times of need. And that means giving up gym time, your nutrition goals may go out the window for a time, and whatever else you enjoy and do for yourself.

See, What Had Happened Was…

Recently, I ran planning prep day and planning day and boy were my ducks in a row. By Sunday I had meal prepped, mapped out my week, and I was on fire to crush my goals. However Monday morning my sweet daughter called to say she was sick and asked if I could take Grayson to school. As moms do, I said yes. Which meant my time to go to the gym would now be spent with Grayson.

Then she called later in the day to say she was too sick to take care of Noah too. So once again rearranged my day and rushed off to pick up Grayson so I could get home to take care of Noah too. Thank God I remembered some food I had prepped to keep me on track and Grayson from getting hungry. Because Grayson had a Dr. appointment too and I had planned a snack ahead of time. Then I had this great idea to see if Greg, my husband, wanted to have lunch. Although I took the last bite of chicken salad as we hung up the phone. I was clearly off my game. And the next day, I skipped attending a talk by an economist so I could catch up on the work I hadn't been able to finish the day before.

But my planning did come into play. I had healthy food around me to support my nutrition focus of the week. But my self care was sacrificed in caring for my grandchildren to support Abby who was sick. And that's what we do for our family members. I wasn't about to say, "No Abby, I have to go to the gym this morning." No, I chose to serve and support my daughter.

Mindset Shift

We need to have a mindset shift to know something is going to get sacrificed that we wanted to do in place of caring for our loved one. How do we have good systems in place and ways to continually be upleveling our own care, knowledge, and who we are, so that we are able to care for others in times of crisis? That's the whole premise of my book "Escaping Quicksand". Unexpected events happen to everyone. But do you have a system in place to keep you on track in those moments? And are you equipped with the mindset to combat those situations?

Webinar Alert: On June 12th @ 11:30 EST, in the Paper Solution Group, I plan to go through the medical binder. I know I want to insert some labs and DNA results and a few other things. Plus, I want to update the kids' medical information with me as power of attorney. I'm sure you have papers like that too that you need to file away for safe keeping. I like to focus on information management (paper) in the Summer so each month I'm taking you through me updating my binders and this month is the medical binder. I'd love for you to join me!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Preorder Your Hard Copy of Escaping Quicksand

• The Sunday Basket®

• The Paper Solution®

• The Productive Home Solution

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media.

Does everything feel a little chaotic kinda like it feels around the holidays? That's because it's Maycember! It's that time of year when there is a lot to do and no days off to do it! I've got some hacks to productively get through it!

Why does it happen?

Here we just thought we were heading into summer. Nope, first, you gotta get your lawn in order. And you probably notice you are back to mowing the lawn more frequently. Oh the joys of home ownership! Did you document all the things last year you did during Maycember? Like how much mulch you needed and other supplies to get your house summer ready?

Don't forget all of the graduations, weddings, and end of the school year events there are. As the school year wraps up and the weather changes to warm summer days there are more things than ever vying for your attention. The biggest difference is, no days off for the holidays but we're trying to get just as much stuff accomplished as we do during the holidays.

7 Hacks to Combat Maycember

Ok, so now you know we call this Maycember. What can you do about it?

1. Recognize the phenomenon and do not add anything to May.

2. Use all the pent up spring energy. Get out of the house, say hi to your neighbors, see people again! Also if you are feeling the nudge to organize, do it, use that spring energy

3. Be choosy on what you commit to and defer the rest. Just like planned neglect, some things will take care of themselves and others can be taken care of in July.

4. Plan what you are comfortable neglecting for a period of time. Use a new rule or change a habit like using paper plates, utilizing a laundry service, or deciding on the 5 meals you will rotate all month, so you can spend more time outside.

5. Plan, use the tools you already have from Organize 365®. Make a weekly plan with your weekly tear sheets that you do at the end of your Sunday Basket® time. Use those slash pockets in your Sunday Basket®. Maybe you have one for teacher gifts, fieldtrips, destinations for summer, and probably more! AND if you are having that organizing energy decide what lessons you'll attack and when on the weekly planner. You have the Binders? Document. Your future self will thank you next Maycember. Write down all the annual house related maintenance you do each year in your Home Reference Binder. That way next year, you'll know when to order the mulch and how much.

6. Pack your car closet. You know, where you have a few snacks, change of clothes because you never know where the spontaneous summer energy will take you, and a back up battery to charge your phone is a great idea too. Nothing is worse than rushing between events and realizing your phone is about to die and you have no way to charge it. We can control some stressors.

7. Block off time to organize. When our homes are a mess it creates mental stress. When you look ahead on your calendar, if you see a block of time, mark it off. This time is for you to reset the house. Get your laundry done, really go through your Sunday Basket® & plan (you need time to plan to think things through), clean a little, or organize a space. I tend to focus on paper during the summer.

And speaking of The Paper Solution and the binders, I have a webinar in the app coming up. It will be on May 29th @ 1:30 EST and I will show you how I go through and update my Home Reference Binder.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• The Paper Solution®

• The Productive Home Solution

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media

If anyone listened to episode 704 about the 10 filters I use to plan my week but you are currently in Quicksand, I'm sorry. I decided to dial it back to this 15 minute hack to help you win the day. Just one day at a time.

Print the Worksheet (Knives Not Included)

Download and print this worksheet. There are two worksheets per sheet of paper. I want you to have a daily action plan because a week at a time may be too much. I know when I was in the pits of despair, I would have thought "Yeah someday!" I'll learn how to time stack and take advantage of pockets of time, that mind you I didn't even know I had because I was in such a reactive state of mind.

Do the Planning

Each night take just 15 minutes to do these 10 things:

1. Transfer items from your planner and calendar to this worksheet. These are appointments or events you have committed to.

2. Proactively think about tomorrow in regards to weather, what you want to wear, and what you want to do with your hair based on weather and activities you'll attend.

3. Go pick out the clothes you will wear tomorrow.

4. Place items you will need for the activities for tomorrow or the people you will see, in your car. Maybe you need to hand in a form, return a shirt to someone, or have work out clothes.

5. Plan your meals and snacks. Replenish your "adult diaper bag" if need be and think through what you will be eating and when due to lunch dates or anything else.

6. Fill in drive time to all your events. And block off time for both driving and then the actual event.

7. Look for pockets of time and plan to check things off you to do list during that time. The reality is that for most of us Mon- Fri time is spoken for. If you have a couple of things that have to get done during the week THIS is your opportune time to do them.

8. Plug in your housework and routines on this worksheet.

9. Highlight your top 1 to three things you have to get done tomorrow. If your day falls apart what do you have to accomplish to feel like you won the day?

10. Now cut that sheet in half and carry it around with you all day tomorrow. Because on the back is where you can write down all those things your brain is reminding you to do. At the end of the day look at it. Things that cannot wait till Sunday get planned for in the week. The rest of the list, the whole list, just goes in the Sunday Basket. No need to transfer to individual cards. Make life easy on yourself and just toss it in your Sunday Basket®.

You must win the day, so you can win the week, in order to win the war!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• Download Daily Worksheet

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media