Prep Now, Thrive Later: Simple Ways to Tackle the Busy Season with Ease

It’s September, and school/daycare/or just a very busy season in general is revving up again, and having some things put together for yourself will do wonders for you while you’re in that season. I have a few mottos I like to repeat to myself and “what would my future self be happy that I did now” is one of them. Being prepared for things as much as possible has proven to lessen the overwhelm a busy season can bring, I have found.

In this blog post, I’m going to talk about things that I actual did to prepare ahead or things that looking back I wish I had done. I hope this leaves you feeling like you have some control over how the next season of life is going to go 🙂

Declutter “Problem” Areas

Clutter is nobody’s friend and is one cause of the overwhelm I talked about earlier. Sit down and think about the last busy season you were in and see if you can pinpoint any areas of your house that suffered while in that season (or maybe you know the areas right away because they just aren’t working even if you’re not in a busy season.). Maybe your entry way was always a mess, or your kitchen table was always littered with paperwork. What can you get rid of that you don’t use anymore that is just taking up space, and/or what can you set up in those “problem” areas that would help for these spaces to not look a mess all the time? Thinking ahead and trying to help yourself in these areas could do wonders for how your days go, how not seeing a messy space will make you feel, and how the space looks daily.

Decide On “Must Have Done” Chores

Having a list of “must have” chores that need to get done daily and weekly is a must. Thinking about your home, what things need to get done to keep the house running, and what things do YOU need to have done to have a clear mind. My spot in the house, and there can be more than one spot for you, is the kitchen counters. If the kitchen counters are messy or cluttered, so is my mind. Having this list, and delegating out some chores to other family members will ensure that your house doesn’t look like monkeys came for a playdate 🫠when you only have a little time to dedicate to cleaning

Make An Enough List

How many times as a mom have you laid your head down on the pillow at night and thought to yourself “I got nothing done today.” When in reality you... fed yourself, fed your kids, did all those dishes involved with feeding yourself and the kids, a load of laundry, gave tons of hugs and kisses, read stories etc. etc. etc.…. You get my point here. You DID do something with your day!

This is where an enough list comes in. An enough list is a list that you make on paper or in your phone notes app where you get to decide ahead of time what things get done that are enough for the day. So that on the hard days or the low energy days, or the super busy days, you don’t spend your precious time beating yourself up over what didn’t get done. You pull this list out and remind your wonderful brain that you DID do enough today!

Some things on my list are:

Feed myself

Feed my family

Have a clean kitchen counter before bed

Do a quick cleanup of our main living space

Bedtime snuggles and read stories

If nothing got done but those things on my list, so be it. I could go to sleep knowing it was enough and maybe tomorrow I can shoot for more. An enough list will be your new best friend and will set you free from being so hard on yourself.

Learn How to Meal Plan

One of the biggest time and money savers is meal planning. If you’re not doing this yet, it would be a really good skill to learn and implement before the busy season comes. This will take the guess work out of the age-old question “what’s for dinner”. Before the day even starts, you will know what is for dinner and will not have to worry later in the day when your brain is tired, and you have to make a decision. Also, meal planning will keep you organized, and you will have all the ingredients you need to make the meal come dinner time. No, more deciding on take out because you don’t have everything you needed for that recipe or it’s just easier on your brain.

If this is something that you struggle with or have never learned, I’ve got you 🙂 I have put together an e-book breaking down how I meal plan every week. I included a printout of a weekly meal sheet that you can use and put on your fridge, a week’s worth of ideas to help get you started, and a few of my favorite recipes! I truly hope it blesses you. Knowing how to meal plan, and then doing it week after week, WILL help ease some of the overwhelm in a busy season, ask me how I know 😉

As you step into this busy season, remember that a little preparation can go a long way. Whether it's decluttering problem areas, establishing your must-have chores, creating an "enough" list, or mastering meal planning, each step you take now will ease the stress down the road. By being intentional and thinking ahead, you'll set yourself up for smoother days and a clearer mind. Give yourself grace along the way, and trust that whatever you can get done is truly enough. You've got this! Here's to a more organized, less overwhelming season ahead. 😊