20 April 2012

One Quick Tip: The 3 Day Week

Dear Lissy,
Feeling overwhelmed?  The 3 day week is much easier to manage than a full seven day plan.


  • Write a 3-day "to have done" master list.  Make a list of things that absolutely, positively have to be done three days from today.  These will feed your daily to-do list.
  • Write menus and market for only 3 days at a time instead of a whole week.  This change has been a huge mental "win" for me.  I can write a three day menu in the blink of an eye, the shopping is a snap, and everything fits easily in the fridge, freezer, and pantry.  As a bonus, I've gotten better at planning the menus to the weather and what I already have on hand.  Because of a well-stocked freezer and pantry, I can easily go an extra day or two if I don't have time to grocery shop.
  • Take a baby step towards a new habit.  Another mental trick.  Even getting up an hour a day earlier for three days seems very doable. If you have anything you've been wanting to add (or subtract) from your life, three days is a great period of time to try out that commitment. 
  • Catch up on an old commitment.   It happens to us all:  the laundry grows out of control, the History paper falls behind schedule, or a sewing project gets stuck on the back burner.  Plan a three day "blitz" to get yourself back on track.
  • Keep your plans in clear sight.  I keep a whiteboard on the back of the kitchen door that I divide into three columns.  I put up our general schedule, any special errands or chores, appointments, and our menu. Since everyone in the family sees it multiple times a day, we end up with very few oopsies.
Busy seasons of life come and go.  A three day week may be just the boost you need mentally when you're flat out physically.


 Star Kisses!
 Momma

Linked up at Works for Me Wednesday

1 comment:

  1. Thanks so much for this little tip! The last few weeks have been a bit nutty and the nuttiness is going to continue for a little whiile. I found myself overwhelmed with planning meals and school at my usual 2 week intervals. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself but I do tend to be an all or nothing sort of person. Thanks again for the idea, it was just what I needed.

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