Reflections
The Life-Changing Magic of Planning Your Week
What I Learned from Interviewing Time Tracking Expert Laura Vanderkam
I work as a Life Coach for a group called Cultivate Club, and every month we do a live interview of a guest expert our members. March’s theme in the Club is “time,” and last Friday I had the exciting privilege of interviewing author, TED speaker, and time management expert Laura Vanderkam. This experience left me inspired and eager to share her wisdom with you. As a longtime admirer of her work, particularly her 2010 book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, I was excited to glean further insights into enhancing my productivity and overall satisfaction in life. I’ll break down the key takeaways from our conversation. Planning your time really is life-changing!
Laura emphasized three core practices that can revolutionize the way we use our time and help us make the most of it: time tracking, planning your week, and incorporating buffer, or “open space,” into your schedule. Let’s delve into each of these practices, starting with the foundational step of time tracking.
Time Tracking
Laura urged us to embark on a journey of self-discovery by tracking how we spend our time over the course of several weeks. Even a few days of tracking can provide insights, and be sure to include a weekend day when you try it. Laura’s research shows that individuals who engage in time tracking are more satisfied with how they spend their time. This was huge “aha!” for me because it turns out Laura and I both are focused on a mission of helping people find more joy in life. So, if for no other reason, try tracking your time because you will actually be happier if you do.
Whether through Laura’s downloadable spreadsheet or various time-tracking apps, the key lies in consistent recording without overcomplicating the process. Simply checking in several times a day to update your time log will do. Personally, I kept time on a stopwatch to get an accurate measure of precisely how long I actually spend doing dishes (yesterday was 20 minutes).
If you decide to give time tracking a try, let me know what you discover!
Planning Your Week
While I’ve personally been setting aside time on Sunday mornings for weekly planning, Laura advocates for using Friday afternoons to map out the upcoming week. Her reasons are compelling, so I’m giving Friday planning a try. Taking a holistic look at your week involves reviewing your calendar, setting priorities, and considering aspirations across three crucial domains: work, relationships, and self-care.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself during weekly planning:
- What do I need to get done (in each domain–professionally, relationally, and personally)?
- What would I like to see happen this week (professionally, relationally, and personally)?
- Do I have enough time for work? For my relationships? For myself?
- What adventures would I like to see happen (try for one big adventure and one small adventure)?
- Do I have something I’m genuinely looking forward to scheduled this weekend?
Make These Three Lists to Help You Plan
In her book Tranquility by Tuesday, Laura recommends making a list of big adventures and a list of small adventures that you would enjoy doing to refer to during your planning. She suggests planning one big adventure (half day) and one small adventure (about a hour) each week (ask your friends for ideas or look at some of Laura’s has many seasonal fun lists). For example, this week I took my kids ice skating (big adventure) and to play at the children’s library (little adventure). She also recommends keeping a “List of 100 Dreams” to look over while you’re planning your week. Do you have a dream that you can bring to life in the coming week?
By asking targeted questions like these and setting realistic expectations, we can elevate our planning and infuse our days with more joy. With practice, weekly planning can take just 10-20 minutes. Indeed, even a small investment in planning yields significant dividends as your week unfolds.
Build in Open Space
Incorporating buffer time—or “open space” as Laura referred to it—can reduce stress and allow for greater flexibility in your schedule. Interestingly, Laura emphasizes the importance of realistic planning. She aims to complete 100% of her intended tasks for the week! This was eye-opening for me, as I have a tendency to put all kinds of tasks in my planner that I have no intention of actually completing that day. This is the genius of planning your week vs. planning your day. I might not be able to complete everything I list in a day, but if I give myself the whole week, my chances of completion go way up.
By embracing the concept of open space, we also make space for the unpredictability of life. Open space also helps people who have difficulty with time estimation, which is quite common.
And Finally, Add Joy
In the introduction of I Know How She Does It, Laura Vanderkam writes: “I believe in filling [your life] with all the joy that is possible.” In fact, much of Laura’s work centers around helping you get more joy out of life. Similarly, at the heart of our mission here at Tidy Upgrade Home Therapy, we aspire to help you live a life that sparks joy.
One way to squeeze more joy out of life is to plan more joy into it. Implementing the time management strategies of time tracking, planning your week, and building in open space can greatly improve your overall well-being. You’ll become more mindful of how you use your time and succeed in prioritizing activities that bring you joy. After all, designing a life that sparks joy and creating space to live it out is the path to a more fulfilling life.
Common Organizing Mistakes to Avoid
Check out the recent Redfin article we were featured in: Organizing Mistakes: 27 Slip-Ups to Avoid During Your Next Project | Redfin Organizing is difficult and can be a stressful, time-consuming project. It’s also an essential skill that can increase your physical and emotional health. …
Take Action to Tidy
Just Start.
If you want to tidy up, you must take action. Have you heard this adage: How do you eat an elephant? The answer is: one bite at a time.
I want you to imagine your Tidying Festival–where you mindfully tidy your whole home in a short span of time–as the elephant. You will never succeed in eating an “elephant” unless you take the first bite.
The True Story of an Overwhelmed Client
I once saw a client who had read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up years ago. She loved the book, and believed in the Method. She joined KonMari®-themed groups on Facebook and told her friends about the book. Then, she tidied her home… in her head. Thoughts without action got her nowhere. Years went by.
And. She. Never. Got. Started.
I asked her why she didn’t take action to tidy, and her answer surprised me: the simple idea of actually pulling ALL HER CLOTHES out of her closet was OVERWHELMING. I get it. If you’ve seen Marie’s first Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, you get it too. On the episode featuring Ron and Wendy Akiyama, Marie Kondo instructs Wendy to pile all the clothes on the bed, and it reaches almost to the ceiling! Click here for a look at “Mt. Wendy” if you haven’t seen it. Marie gently announces without batting an eye, “I’m going to be honest with you. This is the biggest pile I’ve seen of all my clients.” See below for a not-as-large pile I tackled with another one of my clients.
Do the Tidying that Makes Sense for You
Taking all of your clothes out and making a big pile may be the “ideal” way to dive into the tidying process, but it doesn’t make sense for everyone. It makes for great reality TV, however leaving a client’s home with a mountain of clothes still untidy doesn’t make a great reality. Most of the families on Tidying Up with Marie Kondo received assistance with their tidying assignments from a Certified KonMari Consultant after Marie left. Truly, tidying is much easier with an organizing expert to assist you. Watch my client successfully tidy her space with some rock-solid guidance and support in the following video.
Smaller Bites Make More Sense for Some
What do you think? Is the big pile overwhelming? Let me just say that the big pile is not for everyone. In fact, in the years since these photos were taken, I have learned to take care in organizing items into subcategories as we get them out of the closet. It really does help the process go more smoothly and is usually very easy to do. Here are a few situations where taking small bites might be a good fit for you:
- You have more clothes/papers/books than you can confidently tidy in the 5 hours of time (gold standard) you have set aside for it.
- You have small children.
- You have a small house and need to be able to use the space where you put your clothes/papers/books later that day.
- You have a demanding schedule that keeps you from being able to set aside more than a few hours a week for tidying.
- You have anxiety, ADHD, depression or other mental health issues.
- You have experienced a past trauma that will be revisited during the tidying process.
- You have recently suffered a loss.
Any of these reasons or more may be the source of your inertia. Know that you’re not alone if you have trouble starting things. One of author Gretchen Rubin’s secrets of adulthood is: “Nothing is more exhausting than the task that is never started.” You’ve got that right! Just looking at or thinking about your messy closet is weighing you down more than you realize.
Elephants in the Closet? Time to Take Action
Please stop exhausting yourself and take action to tidy up. Whatever the reason for your lack of motion on tidying up, an outside force like a Certified KonMari Consultant may be the impetus you need to get the ball rolling. I help you let go of the weight of your belongings with gratitude and joy. Tidying is healing, and I urge you not to postpone your tidying any longer. It is time to let go. I mean, just look at the change below! It feels so good to do this!
If you resolved sometime in the past to get your house in order, and here you are now, still staring at that “elephant” (or closet) and feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead, then now is the time to contact us to help you take action to tidy up. Tidy Upgrade offers an initial session where we get your closet neat and tidy. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Once you get your momentum going, the next bite may be easier. Don’t wait to clear space for joy. Just start. Take action to tidy today!
Seven Simple Steps to Purify Your Space
Here I share with you some simple steps to cleanse your home so you can purify your own home with mindful intention. Home Cleansing is especially relevant before moving out, but after completing your tidying event or at year-end are other great times to cleanse your space. I was surprised how fitting this ritual felt to perform and witness! It truly did leave a clear and refreshed feeling, similar to the feeling of tidying your space.
Sharing Her “Love” of a Tidy Home…
This morning when I opened my e-mail, I was greeted by this heartwarming testimonial. Tidying your home with a KonMari Consultant really does make a difference! Sparking joy isn’t always about increasing happiness. It’s about gratitude and love… for yourself, others, and your belongings.
“Lisa… We are so grateful for your help over here especially now that we are spending so much time here! [due to the coronavirus] …
Love,
Nicole
PS – I toyed with finding a more reserved closing for my letter, but I do feel so much love for you and this work that ‘sincerely’ couldn’t possibly be sufficient.”
