125/365: Routine
I need routine in my life! I always fight against it but have finally admitted that it is good for me - I never thought I'd hear myself saying that.
I'm currently trying to sort out a workable routine for the weekdays during term time. Saturday is band in the morning with the remainder of the weekend being left free for whatever I fancy doing. I'm trying to see how I can jiggle the teaching around so that I have less travelling and less waiting time - if this is possible the changes probably won't happen before the next school year starts in September.
I've had a long think about the things that I need to be stricter with myself about getting done - the things that get me down if I don't stay on top of them. There are a few tasks which I routinely do now and have no problem fitting them in so I doubt that I'll timetable them. These are:
- washing up and tidying the kitchen after the evening meal,
- checking and watering the garden,
- putting a load of laundry in as soon as I get home when necessary, and
- updating my teaching records and accounts daily
The things that I need to keep on top of are:
- banking payments regularly,
- piano practice,
- some sort of meal planning/shopping so I don't resort to so many takeaways (the number of takeaways I have is always a good indication of my emotional health!),
- housework, including making the bed properly every day, and
- car maintenance (oil, tyres, screen wash, etc.)
Evenings after I've eaten my meal and tidied the kitchen will be left free.
This is stage one. Once I get this sorted and I'm sticking to it for the majority of the time, then I'll move on to looking at how and when I can fit in some regular exercise. I'm also assessing whether it is viable to change all of my teaching to private lessons and withdraw from the majority of the schools but I'll discuss the benefits of that in another post once I've thought it through.
So, checking my timetable ... it's Tuesday morning, there's nothing written in, so I'm off to make a coffee and will get on with my latest book! This routine thing may work after all!!
We try and be organised in our house, at least I do and D would tell you he is (but he isn't) with us both working full time D for himself and me at a hospital and 1 1/2 hours away there isn't a lot of free time in the evenings by the time I get home and have made something to eat. The one thing we are strict about is that all domestic chores have to be completed by Saturday lunchtime so that we can do something in the afternoon and there is definitely no domestic chores carried out on a Sunday it's my chill out day whether we stay at home or go out. The only bit of domesticity is to cook a nice meal and either one of us is capable of that.
ReplyDeleteHope your organising continues to go well. I've never scheduled meals may be that should be something I try.
Mitzi
Does your bank have automatic payments or you can schedule payments through them? I found out that helps me immensely to make sure I don't miss a payment for something. I'll be interested to see what you come up with about teaching privately as opposed to the public school. Hubby taught guitar for the 4 years before we moved here and he got back into his"regular" career. He taught at a private studio. He was good at it and his students liked him but when the economy didn't do good, he lost lots of students because of inability to pay.
ReplyDeletebetty
It's banking the cheques I receive for payment of lessons. Some pay by standing order but the majority hand over the cash or a cheque which means that I need to go into the bank to deposit the money in my account.
DeleteHope you get around to sorting things out, best wishes!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I find rigid routine restrictive, but I too have come to the conclusion that some kind of framework is essential to being productive. I always savour the prospect of a free day to "do as I please" and then when it's over I often realise it came to nothing. Flexible planning works best for me!
ReplyDeleteYes, my planning will be flexible! The things I need to stay on top of will get done during the week sometime, but probably not during the time slot I've set aside for them.
Delete