Time for a Life Admin Day
Issue: Dealing with Life Admin
Solution: It’s time for a Life Admin Day to sort out that never-ending to-do list?
If you feel like time is running away and let’s face it, who doesn’t? There’s always a long list of chores hanging in the background, that you think you’ll get around to when there’s a spare moment..does that spare moment ever come?
Yep, I’ll do that later, or tonight, and then you get distracted by the prospect of watching a dose of the latest box set you’re watching, or you sit down for a minute, relax, forget. Then it all starts again, the following day and the list just gets a little longer. And you feel a little less organised and out of control.
‘The average adult carries out 109 “life admin” tasks every year, research has revealed.’
The Independent
Me, myself and I
If this is you, I can highly recommend taking a day out from it all – on your own preferably, no partners, no friends (unless you’ve got time for a quick lunch ????) no kids – just you. That in itself is a treat – to focus.
And then take a look at that list of things you think you plan to do one day, when you remember or haven’t got 1001 other more important tasks to do!
I had the pleasure of doing this myself recently. I had some spare holiday to use and so many things circling in the back of my mind that I hadn’t got round to sorting, I decided it was time to take action. Time to free my mind up a little and take control.
According to a study this year,
‘Half the nation struggle to keep up with household ‘paperwork’ and often fail to complete everything by the required date. Additionally it emerged the average adult has four important tasks currently in the pipeline which they urgently needed to clear – but can’t find the time to do.’
The Independent
So, what did I do I hear you ask?
Well, it wasn’t glamorous, but Life Admin isn’t mostly– a lot of it’s the dull and mundane things that go with life…It’s getting all of those little annoying bits and pieces done that you try to put off. Often lots of paperwork, bill sorting, things that could save you money – things take a bit of time and focus.
But hopefully, it’s also some of the more fun ideas you have, creative ones that you know you need some proper ‘me’ time to focus on.
Here’s my list:
- Washing
- Ironing
- Cleaning my kitchen
- Hoovering
- Sorting my bills and seeing where I can save money!
- Picture hanging / general house DIY
- Mowing the grass
- Painted 3 canvases – yes
- Sorting out my wardrobe
- Attempting to be sociable and putting dates in the diary to see friends/family
- Food shopping
- Washing the car
- Polishing shoes
- Plan activities for family
- Baked some cakes
It was such a good feeling to get some jobs off my list and out of my head! It was a de-cluttering of my mind and life – on a small scale albeit, but it was very satisfying, so much so that I want another; but a week this time instead please!
I’ve decided that everyone should have a life admin day at least once a quarter…more often if at all possible.
Not only did I take joy in crossing these things off my list, I actually did take pleasure, mostly, in doing the jobs themselves, some more than others of course! But there is something very satisfying in not having to rush rush rush when actually doing them, knowing that they were all things that needed to be done, and the house, or my finances and I would be better off for it.
The mental benefits and sense of well-being from doing this cannot be underestimated, so much so I think companies should consider offering a Life Admin day as a perk! Or does the four-day week solve that issue completely! Ha.
If you’re liking the sound of doing this yourself, one tip, plan. So, before you get to your dedicated day of life admin –you know you’ve got everything you might need to get it done, e.g. Vital ingredients if it’s cooking, paints or canvases for art, any tools if it’s DIY, and so on.
Here are few other tasks that could be saved for your life admin day, but I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own ideas for this!
- Declutter the loft
- Take clutter to the charity shop
- Clean House
- Change insurance provider -oh joy, think of the money
- Send parcels
- Sell those things on ebay
- Check upcoming birthday lists – buy cards and gifts
- Clean out your wardrobe – more stuff for the charity shop, or even to sell.
- Fix paintwork in the lounge
- Up cycle cabinet
- Doing some decoupage
- Make that doctor’s appointment
Make Jam.. ? Now, really who seriously has time for that!?
Sources:
The Independent
Image credit: Photo by Lovefreund
