Guess what today is? That’s right — the first day of Fall! One of the most iconic seasons, Fall, is known for its colors, food, and Halloween. Who doesn’t like to step on crunchy red and yellow leaves or sip a pumpkin spice latte? The season is also known for its many activities, from hay rides to corn mazes. Unfortunately, you might not feel like you have time in your life for all that Fall fun.
Your boss may be trying to get all the scheduling for products for the upcoming holidays, and for sure, school teachers are in the heat of Fall Seasonal Planning.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, whether it’s school, work, or child-rearing. This is because so many things take up so much time — eight-hour shifts, writing a long paper, taking your kids to sports practice. It’s true; tasks such as these can take up most of your day. However, you shouldn’t let that get in the way of living your life to its fullest.
What if there were a way to have that healthy work/life balance? Well, good news — there is! In short, it all comes down to scheduling. You can configure downtime if you can get your day, week, or month arranged in advance. In other words, that means you can plan time for some Fall fun.
Scheduling might not be your strong suit. It can be a daunting challenge to tackle, especially if you don’t have much experience. However, it’s not as scary as it might seem. The benefits are also worth the extra time it takes to sit down and make a schedule. Here are some helpful tips to get started on making your Fall-fun schedule.
1. Find a Good Scheduling System
This might not be what first comes to mind when considering making a schedule. However, finding the right software for you is essential for a good schedule. Unfortunately, your phone’s calendar app might not be cutting it.
Some apps or programs don’t have all the detailed options you might want. It’s good to lay out any necessary information about an activity within your schedule. It just makes things easier by being all in one place. For example, you might see an exciting event but have never been to the location before. Put the address in the activity’s details on your schedule, so you won’t have to do any last-minute internet searches.
If you tend to get distracted, having a scheduling app that can send you reminders is essential. This way, you won’t need to worry about forgetting something. Instead, you’ll know it’s time to move on to your next task when you hear that little ping.
2. Scour the Internet for Things to Do
You might not know where even to find these fun Fall activities. Luckily, the internet’s got your back. In the digital age, almost every business advertises online. That means finding places to go and doing stuff is easier than ever. You can search by area or activity — it’s up to you how far you’re willing to travel. Just remember to allow travel time into your schedule, if necessary.
Set aside some time to do some research. How far in advance you plan for activities is up to you. Whether a week or a month beforehand, try to find anything that interests you and write it down. Depending on how far in advance you plan, this could be a weekly task. Just don’t get too carried away. This shouldn’t take hours.
While this step should get you excited about Fall, ensure you’re realistic with your scheduling. It’s easy to get carried away when looking at how many fun events there are. It can be especially hard to say no to some activities with family. Kids love these kinds of events. However, it’s important to stay on track and be real with your time management. Overscheduling can cause unwanted stress, even during fun times like Fall.
3. Plan with Others
As social creatures, people tend to prefer doing activities with other people. However, it’s not as fun going to a pumpkin patch alone. So one way to tackle your Fall activity schedule is by making plans with friends and family.
Coordinating schedules is essential if you’re expected to go places with someone else. Canceled plans can make an entire day feel like it’s ruined. The best way to avoid this is by planning ahead with whoever you’re going with. Make sure you get a definite “yes’ before adding the activity to your schedule. This way, you save yourself from unfortunate disappointment later.
Some scheduling apps let you send an activity invitation to others through email or text. This is a great way to utilize the tools in front of you. For example, if you find an activity you really would like to go to with a specific person, you can create an event on your calendar. Then, send the person the invite. If they accept, it’s already on your calendar, and no more steps need to be taken.
4. Find Ways to Better Your Time Management
One of the biggest threats to having free time is bad time management skills. Procrastination, distraction, and simply spending too much time on a task are poor time-management skills. Unfortunately, managing your time effectively is not something that can happen without putting effort into it. So, how do you go about improving this critical skill?
Think about how you go about completing tasks. Take a moment to survey how you get things done at work or school. Do you have to take breaks? Do you spend a long time procrastinating? Sometimes when there’s a task someone is dreading, they do another vital task instead. While it’s good to complete your work, putting off an essential task for a lesser one (or that’s due later) can be harmful to your time management.
If you’ve never used a schedule to manage your time, it’s a good idea to start. This change can do wonders for your work/life balance. If you’re diligent and use self-discipline to stay on task, you’ll find more free time opening up. Staying on task at the moment means you’ll be able to do more pleasurable activities later. Think about it like a kid who has to finish their dinner before getting dessert. It’s like a reward system of sorts.
Don’t Be Afraid to Let Yourself Have Fun
Making time for pleasure can seem complicated, especially if you’re busy. However, life is supposed to include some fun activities. And, now that Fall is coming soon, you’ll definitely want to get out there and make some memories.
When scheduling your days, remember it’s okay to change your routine. For example, maybe your system doesn’t allow for free time. That’s not fun! Plus, not letting yourself have some time to relax or do something enjoyable can add stress to your life. The best way to limit stress is by allowing yourself to have fun at least once in a while. And, what better time to do this than Fall? Go on hayrides, visit haunted houses or munch on candy apples.
Just remember not to beat yourself up about having fun. It’s easy to think about all your work at home while out, but that’s the wrong way of thinking. You’re doing perfectly fine if you schedule your tasks and stay on track. It’s called a work/life balance for a reason — you’re supposed to have a life outside of work. So, go out there and carve a pumpkin.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Ylanite Koppens; Pexels; Thank you!
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