Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you’ve been running around nonstop, yet somehow, nothing actually got done? I’ve had more of those days than I care to admit. I’d look around at the end of the day feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and honestly, a little incompetent. I’d ask myself, “Why are your struggling? You don’t even have little kids anymore-you have no excuse!” What I eventually realized was that the problem wasn’t me- it was how I was managing my time. Or really, how I wasn’t. I didn’t have a strategy for how to plan my day at home, so I kept bouncing around from one unfinished task to another. I’d start cleaning the kitchen and remember I had a load of the clothes in the wash, then start folding the clothes in the dryer. I’d go to the garden to plant peas and then start weeding the whole garden and run out of time to plant peas. This just kept happening.
The Game-Changer: Prioritizing Just 3 Tasks a Day
One day, I remembered a simple piece of advice a young woman had shared with me years ago. She said she stayed focused in her job by choosing just three main tasks a day. As long as those three things were done, she considered the day a success-even if everything else had to wait.
That stuck with me.
When I finally started applying this method to how I plan my day at home, everything shifted.
Now, before diving into a long to-do list, I pause and ask myself: What are the three most important things I want to accomplish today?
Some days it’s kitchen work:
- Baking a loaf of bread for sandwiches
- Starting a batch of yogurt
- Restocking the bulk food containers in the pantry.
Other Days, it’s outside work:
- Weeding the garden
- Planting potatoes
- Laying down cardboard to finally make that flower bed in the back yard.
Simple Strategy On How To Plan Your Day At Home That Reduces Stress
This small shift in how to plan your day at home has made a big impact on my mindset. I feel so much less anxious and scattered. Instead of feeling behind all day, I feel more grounded and productive.
And the best part? Once my three main tasks are done, I give myself permission to take a moment to rest and choose what I want to do next without pressure. I might plant some flower seeds, bake something sweet or do a little extra cleaning to get ahead.
How to Choose Your Top 3 Tasks
- Start with what truly matters. What’s most urgent or important today?
- Mix productivity with purpose. Don’t be afraid to include tasks that feed your soul.
- Be realistic. Choose tasks you can actually finish in a day-it’s better to feel accomplished than overwhelmed. If you have a big project, break it down into manageable steps that you can check off each day.
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