If you feel like you’re killing this whole adulting thing but you’re ready to level up, here are some things you can do to take your personal, home, and love life up a few notches and reach whole new heights of being a total boss. They worked for me!
- Create a foolproof schedule. No one’s guiltier of lamenting that there’s not enough time in the day than me, but once I created a seriously detailed weekly schedule, I was surprised at how much more of it I suddenly had. I schedule everything from feeding the dog and taking a shower to scrolling through Instagram and actually getting through my work. You have to be realistic, otherwise, it won’t work. For example, there’s no point in scheduling 30 minutes for your grocery shopping when you know it’s never taken you less than an hour before. Once you start scheduling absolutely everything in your day, you’ll realize you have a lot more time than you thought. Plus, if you allow 20 minutes for a coffee break, you’re more likely to stick to it rather than allowing your quick caffeine refuel to run on for 40 minutes.
- Set aside some serious time for household chores. For me, there’s no clearer sign that I’m not on top of things than when clean, dry laundry is sitting and has sat in the basket for days on end. Now I schedule exactly when I’ll do the laundry and when I know it’ll be dry and ready to put away. This means that by the weekend, the drying rack and all clothes are put away and I don’t have to think about it again for another week. Housework has to be done, so allow yourself some time in your schedule for that. Similar to your coffee schedule, if you allocate an hour to get the place vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned and dishes done, you’re more likely to get it done within the hour instead of drawing it out because it’s boring.
- Use a FitBit to record your health goals. I was dubious of these FitBit users until I actually got one myself. Now I start to panic when I see the battery is low! FitBit does so much more than just counting your steps—you can keep track of lots of other exercises like swimming and running, plus keep a record of your water intake, make a food diary, track your quality of sleep, know when your period is coming and more. For me, it’s a super easy place to record all my health goals, and the regular notifications letting me know I haven’t quite met my goal is a real motivator.
- Use a tracker water bottle to keep hydrated. Speaking of staying hydrated, I’m also a tracker water bottle convert. There are some super fancy (read: expensive) ones out there that use high-end technology, but just a cheap one with a printed time schedule on the front has worked wonders for me. Realistically, you could even write the schedule on a plastic bottle with a sharpie. Knowing I’m supposed to have consumed a certain amount of H2O by a certain time in the day has made it really easy for me to stay hydrated.
- Keep a stock of greetings cards on hand. Nothing says you’re a real adult more than sending greetings cards on time for birthdays, Christmas, and any other event really. By always keeping a small choice at home, you can quickly write one up with a sweet message and pop it in the post in good time.
- Let Marie Kondo inspire you. If you haven’t jumped on the Marie Kondo train yet, you should! You don’t have to do everything she says, of course, but putting a few of her techniques in place will definitely make you feel like you’ve got your act together. Take the time to fold your clothes, organize your stuff in boxes, and basically just find a designated place for everything you own.
- Reset your home every night. Because everything you own now has a place it’s supposed to be when not in use, you can quickly scour the house before bed and put everything away. I call it resetting my home. Just before bed, I ensure the TV remotes are all placed back into their box so I don’t have to spend 10 minutes searching down the back of the couch for them the next day, I put away the clean dishes so my worktops are cleared and I store away all the bits and bobs I used that day that are still laying around. It makes the next morning a breeze as the house is always tidy and I know where to find everything.
- Make your bed as dreamy as you can. Your bed should be a sanctuary, somewhere you actually want to be every night and which offers you a comfortable and solid night’s sleep. You don’t have to spend a fortune to upgrade your bed—just add some new sheets, a cozy duvet cover, some throw pillows, et voila! Don’t forget to make your bed every morning—nobody wants to climb into an unmade bed at night
- Treat yourself to some adulty homeware. There are so many pieces of homeware that most of us find not to be essential. Why buy hand towels for the bathroom when you have bath towels? Why have a sugar bowl when the paper bag will do? However, by having these little extras, you’ll really feel like you’re investing in your home and your adult life.