This post is my first-ever guest blog post. (How fun is that?) The post is from my friend and fellow professional organizer Janine Adams. When her newsletter and this article landed in my in-box last week, I thought it was terrific advice—advice I could use as my family eases into our summer routines.  I liked the article so much I asked Janine if I could share it with all of you. And Janine said yes. (Thanks, Janine!) You can learn more about Janine at her website www.peaceofmindorganizing.com.

Summertime Structure

By Janine Adams

For some of us, summer can wreak havoc on the structure we have set up in other times of the year. For parents, school vacation means different places kids need to go and different schedules. Family vacations can disrupt the established flow of the days and weeks. Even if you don’t have kids, summer can have subtle effects: The longer days might mean you’re working longer and eating later. I’m an avid TV watcher and just the change in the TV messes up my evenings.

Structure is important and it doesn’t need to go away if circumstances change. If you establish routines around certain things that happen on a daily basis, you can keep your structure, no matter what the circumstances. Here are some ideas for creating structure in your day:

Time block.

Set aside blocks of time each week to accomplish certain important tasks. Select certain days on which to blog, for instance. Or enter data into financial software. Grocery shop. Or even go out to dinner. The point is that you put these things on your calendar and do them at a set time or day.

Get up at the same time each morning.

If you don’t have a reason to get up at a certain time in the morning (if you’re a solo entrepreneur, with no external demands on your time, for example), get up at a designated time anyway. Establish some morning routines so that you accomplish things by a certain time. This helps you get things done and ensures that the day isn’t squandered.

Bookend your work day.

At the end of the work day, clean up your desk, clear out your email inbox, file any papers you’ve generated. These sorts of activities help you stay on top of details and give your workday closure.

Have an evening routine at home.

Just like your workday routine, a home life evening routine can be very beneficial. Put away stray items, run the dishwasher, lay out the clothes for the next day. You’ll maintain order and hit the ground running in the morning.

Plan your meals.

Whether you eat three squares a day or choose to eat more frequently, plan what you’ll eat and when. It’s so easy when you lack structure to just forget about eating during the day. Then you tend to end up with less healthy, quicker alternatives. Worse yet, you go without eating and your mental and physical energy drop. Plan what you’ll eat and make sure you have the food on hand.

Providing just a bit of structure in your life can make life flow more smoothly, in the summer or any time of year.