This isn’t necessarily music-related, but it’s not NOT music-related. This is how I decluttered my time to make more of it for the things that only I can do. I strongly recommend doing this now, and then once a year or so!
How To Declutter Your Time
I want you to get out a stack of index cards. I want you to write on each one something that you are responsible for. There are many things throughout the day, week, year that we have to do. It’s like a hum in the back of our minds. It takes up space. My dearest desire for you is to have more mental space. So the area that we’re decluttering in this “space” is between your ears.
Write one item, thing, chore, duty on each index card and make the most mammoth pile. It’s going to feel either really good to see all that you do, or really daunting to see all you’re supposed to do. Either way, make a huge pile!
Now take out 5 more index cards or scraps. Write each of the following on one piece:
Stop doing altogether
Delegate to someone else
Batch
Automate
Outsource
Now let me take a moment to tell you what each of these mean. When I first did this in May of 2019, I was at my wit’s end. I was totally overwhelmed by all the things I was responsible for. So I made a list of everything that was currently my responsibility and a trend emerged. I figured out by listing all the things I was currently doing because I am a responsible, detail-oriented individual, things had ended up on my plate that didn’t need to be there.
So here’s how I organized my index card/chores:
Stop doing altogether - I stopped doing anything that I didn’t care deeply about, that someone else could do if they felt so inclined, but it mattered not to me. Simply stop doing altogether anything that isn’t important to you and someone else could do. Example: Stop dusting if it’s something you don’t care about and doesn’t really need to be done. Someone else will pick it up if they want to. Let the house get dusty and congratulate yourself on the extra me-time!
Delegate to someone else - This category involves tasks that are important, but could be done by someone else. Delegate anything that is not something that only you can do, but is important nonetheless. Example: delegate taking out the trash or doing the dishes.
Batch - Batching is saving a chore up so that you can do it all at once, instead of little bits scattered across your time. Anything you can batch saves you the time and energy of switching between tasks and gets something out of the way. Batch chores that only you can do and that are important to you, but are not time sensitive. Example: save up all your laundry and only do it once a week, or once every two weeks. I also batch all my ad creation for Kat Starr Music and once a month schedule all the ads for that month ahead of time.
Automate - Do this on chores that must happen, but do not need your direct attention or oversight. This one is a time investment on the outset but pays dividends forrrreeeevvvvvaaaaaahhhh. Automate anything only you can do, and that have to be done, but can be automated. Example: The best example I have of this is collecting monthly tuition from my students. This used to be a huge time sink, involving reminding folks each month, collecting and adding checks, taking trips to the bank, etc. So upgraded my website in order to be able to automate payments to me. All my students now enroll in “Tuition Subscription.” They enter their information once and are automatically charged each month. I still have to check that all is going as it should, but this has saved me HOURS per month, DAYS per year. I also did this to all my bills, my IRA contributions, and monthly transfers between my accounts.
Outsource (pay to have done) - Ok, this one makes me feel incredibly privileged. That this is even an option! I do not take this lightly. Here are some examples of things that I an my husband chose to outsource:Lawn careTaxesGrocery deliveryHouse cleaning
Things you already outsource that you never considered outsourcing:
Getting your hair and nails doneHiring an in-home organizerDining out It won’t always make sense to outsource chores, but they’re good options for when you need them. Things you can also outsource:
Virtual assistant
Web designer
Personal trainer
Tutor
So now that you understand each of these ways to handle chores, take each index card and place it below one of these five categories.
Juice LOVES this part. He’s helping.
In your Stop Doing Altogether category, may I suggest a ritual burning? Haha! Get those suckers gone. You’re free. You’re not doing that anymore. Tie up any loose ends you need to. Tell people you’re no longer doing these things and then, really. DO NOT DO THEM ANYMORE. You may actually need to plan what you will say if someone asks you to please start doing X again, or gets huffy that you’ve stopped. If you don’t feel you can manage an actual “no” on the spot, say, “I’d like to take some time to think about that.” And then don’t. Or do, but say, “I considered your request, and I’ve decided that’s not a priority for me right now.”
In the Delegate pile, decide how best to proceed. Do you need to tell anyone you’re not doing these things anymore? Would it be better just to stop doing it and let your actions speak for you? Or have a gentle conversation and say something like, “I am feeling so spread thin, I need to stop doing X for a while. I hope you understand.” This brooks no conversation. You are stating your truth. You can be sweet, but be firm. Like an apple.
Batching. I think you’re going to like batching. This one doesn’t require any discussion with anyone else. You get to decide. These things that need to get done, when do you want to do them? On Tuesday afternoons? Once a month? Do you need to purchase anything extra to make batching easy? Do you need a special place set aside for this?
Automate. This one took me making a trip to both my water and electric company and signing paperwork to have my bills automatically withdrawn. But then? I have done ZERO work to pay my bills since then. They come out of my account at the same time every month and I don’t have to think about it. It’s going to suck, but be so worth it.
Outsource. Ok, it needs to be done. It *has* to be done. But you either can’t do it, it wouldn’t be worth your time to do it, or you have more money than gumption to do it. Who do you need to hire? What specific tasks need taking care of? Can you batch your outsourcing? As in, make all your hair appointments six months out, or have your lawn guy come at the same time each week without having to call him?
I truly hope this resource is helpful for you and helps you declutter your time for the coming year!!
The final step comes in putting this all together. So you’ve stopped doing a bunch of things, decided what you can batch or outsource, etc. What do you do with this pile??? It’s still big, right? And kind of daunting?
This is the organization step. The one that will create a system for heading off emergencies.
You’re going to make a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly plan.
Take out 7 index cards and write the days of the week on them.
Two more index cards for “Monthly”, “Yearly.”
Lay them out on a big, empty table, or on the floor.
Now you start organizing your stack of chores and to-dos onto what days you will do them. Think about your current schedule while you do this. You already have things going on, so maybe you need to write down your current schedule on index cards just to see what plates are already spinning.
Take your time, but don’t stop until you have each card on a day of the week, or have picked a recurring monthly day/date. Same with Yearly.
You may want to have one ‘Errand’ day or one day that you wipe out all your chores. Maybe that’s overwhelming, and you give yourself one chore per day. You can try different things and adjust to your own style.
This is on a wall off of our kitchen so it’s easily seen. The one my husband asked me to help him create is above mine. They match. Swoon!
Then once you have your cards all laid out, put this information to use for you! Create a spreadsheet for yourself, or schedule these action items into your phone at actual times that repeat, write them in your planner. Do several! My husband and I each have a spreadsheet on the wall. He likes to be able to see visually what he’s doing each day. And I write them in my daily planner as well. (I love checking things off!)
Each week on Sunday, I go through my Sunday Basket and Workbox and figure out my week. I make sure to add my chores from the spreadsheet so I don’t miss anything, or overbook myself.
Here’s what this has done for me over the last few years. Staying on (or close to) a schedule like this has PREVENTED EMERGENCIES. I am no longer REACTING to my life, I am leading it. I know what needs to happen when. And when actual emergencies pop up, I can deal with them so much easier!
My house stays neat, tidy, and organized. I don’t search for things! My work productivity is awesome because of these things (and other organizational methods I use). And best of all, I have more time for things that are important to me - relaxing, spending time with friends and family, reading, etc.
I hope this is helpful for you! And if you feel like this process is overwhelming - reach out. You can schedule a one-on-one session with me in which I will walk you through this process and help you create your ideal schedule.