My Weirdest Weekday Hack to Stay Organized
I have read all the BuzzFeed and News articles for being efficient. Everything that I scroll past on my news feed about being healthy, making the most of my time and my life (dramatic), making time for everything that is important, and hacks for looking like I have it all together and what not. All the “how to stay fit without trying,” “ways to save money without cutting back,” “how to be efficient during the week,” crap on the internet. Even when I read the first sentence and know automatically that it is out of the question…usually because I am unwilling to give up carbs, wake up earlier to go to the gym before work or not feeling like starting a new relaxation hobby (because God knows I am not a downward dog type of human)…I still read these things (which probably makes me less efficient than this article will portray me as).
For years, I have been practicing just one weekday hack, that has gotten a lot of laughs at the dinner table and family gatherings. However, this one thing, is what I believe allows me to stay on track during a busy workweek, even though it may seem small (and probably strange).
Drum roll, please…
Sabina’s Official Weekday Life Hack
Every single Sunday, I put my entire week’s worth of outfits out. That is right…I am even crazier than you thought I was five blog posts ago (or 10 years ago for my loyal family readers). This is no exaggeration. From head to toe, shirt to pants, shoes to socks to…other stuff…I am ready for a full five days of seasonally-prepared, situation-appropriate outfits. And yes, you may think I am insane, but here are the reasons I challenge YOU to try this absurd efficiency hack out. Take that, BuzzFeed! My efficiency advice is better than yours. But still, hire me, call me, love me please & thank you and we can talk about it.
More Morning Time
I hate rushing out the door. I like to take my time in the morning, which includes a full breakfast (apparently no one eats breakfast anymore…stupid) and scrolling through social media, my e-mail, and maybe a little news if I am feeling eager. This breakfast and catch-up routine is followed by a full body makeover basically. From a full face wash and exfoliation, praying the pillow mark on my face will disappear before I walk into work, to deciding whether I will let my fro hair go loose or tied up…being a girl takes TIME. Having my outfit prepped and ready to go saves me the 10-15 minutes I would need to pick something out, try it on, dislike it, and try on something else before saying “good enough.” I love that I have a few extra minutes to wrangle my curls, scroll through useless posts and, of course, eat a full meal before starting the day.
Pro Tip: Skipping breakfast is the worst. In the words of my fabulous nutritionist mother (and every other health infomercial)…breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So stop skipping it…we all know you can’t focus and your stomach growl will ruin everyone else’s focus ,so don’t be selfish, people. If you put your outfit out, there is your extra few minutes to eat something, just anything please.
2. More After-Work Time
For everyone thinking that I could at least do day-to-day outfit planning, you are not wrong. However, on a regular work schedule, I feel like there is no downtime. You wake up, go to work, come home, get ready for tomorrow’s work day, go to sleep and start over. So, taking those few minutes of outfit-prep out of my after-work time allows me to have some extra time. I do all my meal-prep the day before so that my salads are fresh and packed. Having this one work-prep item on my after-work agenda allows me to have somewhat of time to just not think about work. The goal here is maximizing Netflix and chill time.
3. Always Dressed for Success
I definitely stole this caption from a Hofstra flier from sometime ago…who cares my tuition is high enough to borrow a thing or two. There is nothing worse than getting ready for an important meeting or event and realizing those pants or that dress are in the wash. Prepping in advance allows me to make sure all the right clothes I need are clean, ironed if needed, and hung up and ready to go. Plus, if you realize you need something that is dirty, there is still plenty of time to do a wash it and be ready. If you really want to be crazy, do all your washing and ironing on Sunday, too. (It is more relaxing than it sounds…I love Sunday laundry).
4. Mental Prep
Beyond the outfit-prep I am shoving down your throat, and the meal-prep which we are all trying to be better at…being mentally ready for the week can really determine the kind of week you have. Starting off with things set up and organized acts as almost a refresh and preparation for the days to come. A new week is starting, so start off on a good note. Plus, if your day or your boss or your client totally ruins your day and life…at least you will LOOK FABULOUS.
Why not outfit-prep for the entire week?
I honestly can’t decide how ugly or fancy I want to be on a Saturday/Sunday until at least Wednesday, so I play those outfits by ear. Plus, it would be just SILLY to outfit-prep leggings and a t-shirt (considering that is my go-to for the weekend with an occasional pair of jeans and MAYBE makeup if I am feeling wild).
I have officially put my whole life on the internet and this website is only about two months old. But seriously, I highly recommend at least trying this sort of method.
Maybe you want to prepare you week’s meals instead of this, but finding just one thing to make yourself more organized is more than just looking nice or eating healthy. One organization hack leads to another, and feeling organized makes you happier at work and lets you enjoy that short time in between work days. Try doing just one thing, no matter how small or big, to make your week a little more efficient, so that you can make the most of your time in and out of the office. Just a thought.
If you decide to try out my crazy hack, let me know. I would love to know if there is someone just as crazy as I am in this world. #OutfitPrepLove
Bean
www.linkedin.com/in/sabinaruggles
@sabinaruggles
