Resuming Routines

Recently I spent three weeks out of the office, traveling for business.  Although I enjoyed the work, being away from home was stressful. 

I have created routines that keep my home and business running smoothly.  When I had to revise the routines to make them work while I was on the road, there were some breakdowns.

I thought that when I returned to the office, I would fall right back into my old routine.  Unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.

Before I could start anything new, I had to deal with the clutter that accumulated:  unopened mail, items I brought back from the trip, laundry, etc.  I had to take action on email I left in the inbox and update my calendar.

All of these tasks had to be completed rather quickly so I could prepare for upcoming presentations and client meetings.

Now that I’m confident I’ve caught up with the backlog, I have to retrain myself to use the systems I created.  The habits I’ve established help me maintain focus and productivity. 

Routines aren’t rigid; instead, they allow you to make choices.  For example, I usually spend time looking at the gowns worn to awards shows (honest truth!).  This week I made a decision that viewing the Golden Globes dresses wasn’t as important to me as other things I needed to do. 

Because I know what I have to do and what I want to do, I have the ability to choose my tasks instead of feeling pressured by time limits.   Which tasks can you create routines for so you can spend less time thinking about what you should be doing?

Organized by MarcieTM:  Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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