Journeyer’s Chronicles

In Productivity for mums - Part 1 I outlined how important it is for me to have a routine to get things done. Here I’ve broken down how I set up my weekly routine and schedule. You can click on each image of my diary for a larger view.

I use a combination of the calendar on the fridge (which has all our appointments on), iCal (the calendar software on my Mac) and my phone. This might seem like a bit of fiddling, but it works for me. While the calendar on the fridge is the main control centre where we write all our appointments and important things to remember, I like to have my schedule on my phone, so when I’m out I have it on hand. I use iCal because it is very visual enabling me to see where I can fit things in. I also can maintain a task list and set reminder messages to pop up. I synch my phone and iCal most days.

I already have most of my must do’s and regular activities in iCal. These are my the backbone of my daily routines. This is usually picking up and dropping off of kids, after school activities, specialist appointments and so on. At the start of each month I update iCal using the calendar on the fridge.

On a Sunday, I try to sit down at the computer to get things sorted out for the following week. First I add I add any new family activities and appointments.

Next I schedule activities related to house work. This is the second part of my routine as a many of the activities occur on a weekly basis. For example, to be able to do the grocery shopping on Friday, I need to have prepared the menu and shopping list on Thursday.

Then I fit in tasks that I don’t want to forget or that are time critical.

Everything else I leave unscheduled.

A few years ago I would have thought a routine and schedule like this was overkill (perhaps even a little anal?). Now however, whether it be from having three kids to organise, medications or just getting older (probably a combination of all three), I am hopeless without my routine and schedule.

What are some of the techniques that help you keep on track during the week?

Other posts in this series

• Productivity for mums - The First Part
• Productivity for mums - Using a calendar and diary
• Productivity for mums - The importance of a routine
• Productivity for mums - Part 3
• Productivity for mums - Menu planning