One minute tasks I do to stay productive

My Autumn Reset starts 10th September 2024 
This printable will be free to download check out my blogsite 
Everyone can Build a Castle 

It is September 2024 and I got to say it is good to have school back and have some time to myself. 

I just been out and to be more organised I do each day One Minute tasks, like before I pop out and before bed time, check that the back door is locked, along with the front door, and the door to the kitchen and living room are closed. I do a quick tidy up like sort my bed out, get my sons bag ready for school and clean up anything left to on the draining board in the kitchen are dried and put away and then do my skincare, make sure my son and I brush our teeth and are both dressed to chill out, before my son is is picked up to go to school. 

Having a good daily routine can really make the time to have a coffee and each week I love to go to the coffee shop like I did today and draft some blogs and looking around the coffee shop this morning noticed other who I know from, go to the coffee shop too, after their kids have gone to school. 

I bumped into someone I know whose son was in the Special care unit, when my son was. They both premature babies and got to know when doing Henry's care and it is good to have that connection and meet up with our sons. 

So you can have a quick chat with someone whilst running errands, by doing a quick video call and it was good to know the parents, where my son goes to school as now he gets a taxi to school due to distance, missed that. 

I will then do my skincare with is a Nivea day cream and Vitamin C spray. I do wear make up but not all the time, but my skin if not looked after then it goes dry. 

Anything that takes no time to do I do mainly first and anything that takes longer I make sure I have full day other nothing else planned and nothing to go out for, and actually doing a bit a day and breaking up the longer tasks, like clearing my laundry and decluttering. 

This morning I tidied up my suitcases in the Living room as I am in Epsom for the week when my son is at school and then in Wimbledon at the weekends and during the school holidays.

Getting my sons snack and water to take to school as he has his lunches at school and now I am going to wash up which will take one minute of items used for lunch and change the meal I had planned for dinner as there are leftovers and needs to be cooked. 

I like to use up what I have got first and reduce waste as much as I can. 

So what one minute tasks do you do? Please leave a comment below. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Staying on Track

So today I have tidied away some clothes washed and stripped my sons bed to wash his bedding and do my sons breakfast and helped get my son ready, taking him to his holiday club and the way I get things done now, is by taking my time. 

This morning I slept up until my alarm went off, 6:35am and I do like to get up before then, to work on projects but no, I am no longer giving myself a hard time over it and still got things done. 

Time isn't the problem, it's how it is used, and that there is enough hours in the day. 

It is about setting your goals, following healthy habits and living habits and have a good look at your calendar, so you can see what you have written and planned. Example: Each Friday I will set up a weekly planner, using Notion and brain dump of what I need to do, in a notebook and workout what I plan to do and when. I also like to do unplanned things, like when my mum and step dad are off or with my husband and son, go for walks and just exploring.

Give yourself a personal day. 

I have now gone more digital when it comes to getting things done and the Good thing about digital planners is that you can set reminders and set it up so others, like family if you have children who have appointments, spouse and what their plans are each week and day. Once it is saved it is there. With Notion I have the APP (no I am not sponsored but would love to be) so I can still see what I have planned to do whilst out and about, as I like to walk and exercise. You don't have scribbles everywhere, because plans can change and makes it easier to amend using my phone and it is free to use, if you choose the personal set up. 

I do a list in a notebook, but that stays on my desk and I like to use my notes app on my phone, if I need do some food shopping, blog ideas unless I have my writing gear with me, if I think of a book idea, start my song list for my radio show (I work on Epsom Hospital Radio on Sunday's 4pm to 6pm and you can listen to it if you are in the UK) and not having to carry too much around. 

People who know me. I have not always carried light bags and stored my world in them, but it can cause back ache and so I limit now, of what I carrying, depending on where I am going and who I am with. 

I then as I go through the day I will potter around, do a bit of tidying, pop out and really enjoy that, and have a mooch around the shops, having a coffee out or not always, buy an ice cream and in the summer go to a coffee shop or park to read my book. 

Not everyone has the luxury to do that, and I don't do this every day either, but when I do, I do enjoy it. 

Soon it will be all systems go again as our kids return to school and so going to try and make the most of the good weather and summer days before we have to put our coats back on.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

The things I have changed in my life since my last post in 2022/New Organized self 2024

Oh boy where do I begin? I didn't mean to select this blog site and I am glad I did seeing the views I had on my last blog back in 2022 and so much has changed. 

My mental health took a turn for the worst, I ended up in hospital and lost contact with friends and it has been a long road to recovery. 

Now I get up at 5:30am each morning I have been editing a new book. Check my last book Mum&Me, and this is going to be a series. I have already started on book 2, but working on a book called When Mothers Are real and on my 5th edit, and to make sure I get it done been getting up early to edit it and I only began doing this when one night I couldn't sleep and was wide awake, but in the morning at 4:30am, fully awake and felt this surge of energy, and had so much more energy, that I was like "Wow where has this come from?".

Checkout my Daily blog: My Daily Thoughts and feelings (mydailythougthsandfeelings.blogspot.com) Where I have shared this and on my blog Everyone Can Be A Castle. http://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2024/03/26/ive-become-a-early-bird-and-feel-revitalized/

This has made me stop going on my laptop in the evenings and turn my phone on silent at night and is away from my bed and no longer sleep with it next to me and would listen to music before bed, but now found this affected my sleep and would do the same in the mornings. 

I have been wanting to get into the habit of waking up earlier as I like the feeling I have a whole day ahead of me and be in PJ's whilst drinking my first cup of tea for the day and write. I failed at it and taken a while to get into this habit, but then it just happened and has been the biggest influence to me this year and is part of my New Organised self for 2024.

Now I get all my tasks done now and use OneNote which is a free planner programme by Microsoft, my diary, Filofax and my notebooks I use to plan and journal in. 

Everyday I wrote in my current journal of what I have been happy about, and it is good to tick things off and now I do a Life Coaching programme called "Summer Project" and blog on my site mentioned above, everyone can build a castle and to help you have a better life and better year. 

I got some real good feedback from the first time I did the programme and so continuing on in 2024 and will start 1st May to August 31st. So come and check it out.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X