Planning Lazy: The List Of Little Tips That My Plannerds Requested

Be lazy.

Laziness is probably not what you would expect from a blogger who writes mostly about productivity and time management. But I think most planners get it wrong, trying to do everything and plan everything out.

(Yes, I include ME in that assessment. I think I can do everything. Parent perfectly. Keep my house spotless. Have zero typos and excellent legal analysis in every work assignment.

And then the pressure hits, and I lose it with the kids. "LOKI, GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW MISTER AND CLEAN UP THIS KETCHUP!" "ANDER, I SWEAR IF I HAVE TO TELL YOU ONE MORE TIME, YOU ARE SCRUBBING EVERY SURFACE IN THIS HOUSE, YOUNG MAN." "ALAN, YOUR LAUNCHPAD HAS EXPLODED ON MY COUNTER. I WILL THROW YOUR CRAP AWAY IF YOU DON'T CLEAN IT; I SWEAR I WILL!"

(Okay, full disclosure, Alan is my husband and NOT one of the children. And that yelling at him NEVER goes over well. I love him, dearly, but I still told him not to kiss me the other day because I didn't "want to associate this rage with your kisses." The rage, for the record, was NOT directed at him (that particular time). Still, he didn't take the explanation of why he shouldn't touch me right then as well as I would have liked, given that I was PROUD OF MYSELF for NOT screaming. His actual Facebook post about the topic: "the soft gentle caress and kiss I just delivered was met with, 'that didn't make me feel better, now I just want to kill somebody.'" I'm not saying his post was accurate, but...at least he is a forgiving soul.)

But planning for the sake of planning (which is different, mind you, than planning for joy - planning for joy is fine) is a waste of time.

I enjoy wasting time. I waste time watching Orphan Black, reading trashy romance novels from Book Bub, and reading my Planner groups on Facebook (in no way limited to the Giftie Etcetera group, mind you...I read them all). I like to play disc golf, dine with my ladies, and paint my toenails.

I do not enjoy cleaning bathtubs, getting dressed for work (funny, I don't mind the actual work part...luckily enough, my job no longer requires pants :)), or considering which part of the project needs to be done next.

I really am lazy. I am determined to play as hard as possible and work (especially housework) as little as possible. Whatever my planner says, that's all I HAVE to do today. And that is the only work that I plan to do.

(Apologies for the crappy phone shot. I have a nice camera, but I'm too lazy to stand up and get it. Living the dream, people. Living the dream.)

Note the Saturday tasks...message a friend, save laundry, and clean off the pile that accumulated on my desk this week. If I have time (the right column), blog, edit a chapter of my book, and cut dailies for next week. (I have some of the dailies for next week done, which is why that is a maybe chore.) Also, at the bottom right, my daily goals - exercise, eat 6 fruits/veggies, do my AM list, and do my PM list.

On my calendar, I have a ladies' night planned tonight with women from my kids' school.

That's it. I don't strive to do more. If those things are done, I'm happy, and lazy the rest of the day.

So I've made a list of ways to be lazy, to help you achieve my lifestyle.

*REUSE TOWELS. Okay, my standards require that I only reuse those that I clean clean stuff with, like towels used for drying my hands after washing them. But there is no need to wash a towel each time it is used!

*PREPARE FRUITS AND VEGGIES IN BULK. If I am washing grapes for school lunches, I go ahead and make extra for snacks. Chopping zucchini and peppers for a supper? I cut extra and throw them in the freezer for a stir-fry later. (I never prep or parboil veggies. Shrug.)

*COOK DOUBLE FOR LEFTOVERS. School and work lunches often consist of leftover stew or spaghetti from the day before. If I make hamburger patties, I go ahead and cook an extra pound of patties. Takes about the same amount of time, but I pop those suckers in the freezer and nuke them when the kids are hungry and karate lessons are approaching in minutes. My husband and I don't love rewarmed burgers, but the kids don't care! I freeze almost everything in individual servings. That way, if one person wants chili, I defrost one. Three of us want chili? Defrost three. No waste and quicker defrost!

*DISHWASH EVERYTHING. Germy plastic toys? Dishwasher, top shelf. Gross soap containers? Dishwasher. Toothbrushes and toothbrush holders? Sponges? Plastic or metal baskets and containers? Dishwasher. Hair clips, hair brush, and comb look funky? Dishwasher. Stop limiting that tool to actual dishes!

*DO NOT PRESORT LAUNDRY. Okay, we sort out reds and purples (because we have a ton) and whites. But, otherwise, everything gets washed together. We've had no problems.

*LET THE KIDS PUT AWAY THEIR OWN SCHOOL STUFF. Each day, they get home, refill water bottles and put them in the fridge for tomorrow, put lunch box insides in the trash or sink for washing, show me their folders and put any "to keep" papers in their launchpad boxes, and hang up their school bags and belts.

*DRESS FOR THE DAY'S ACTIVITIES. If I am lunching with my boss, I wear an outfit that will take me to lunch but also work for the rest of my day. Since I work from home most of the time and need to do some housework, too, that might be a casual dress with a cardigan and heels, for lunch, changed into the same dress with flip flops and no sweater for housework and working at home. This lets me be lazy in a couple of ways. I don't have to waste time changing, and I don't have to launder two outfits!

*WASH CLOTHES LESS OFTEN. In particular, jackets, sweaters, and jeans can often go a few times between washing. (Other stuff, too, if you don't live in a humid climate. Alas, Louisiana is sweat capital of the world.) Don't wash something twice; wear it twice instead!

*WIPE UP AND RINSE PANS DURING OR RIGHT AFTER COOKING. Soaked pans can be thrown, in many cases, into the dishwasher. A spill wiped up immediately, before it dries on, is much quicker to deal with.

*CARRY IT WITH YOU. When walking from room to room, carry something with you. For example, in a minute, I am going to stand up from the sofa and walk into the kitchen to defrost lunch. On the way, I will bring my coffee mug from this morning to the sink. On the way back to the living room, I will grab my cell phone to upload pictures for this blog.

*SWISH TOILETS. Once a day, swish the toilet brush around the toilet after use. Trust me.

*WIPE DOWN TUBS AND SHOWERS. Do the same after a bath or shower. Wipe it down and it will need cleaning less often and with less effort.

*ASSIGN WATER BOTTLES. Everyone in my household has a different color water bottle. When other kids come over, they get a water cup with washi tape, with their name on it. We reuse the containers for water for a day or two before washing. This definitely saves on dishwashing (and leaves room in the dishwashing for all that other stuff that I talked about earlier). We use water bottles instead of cups (yes, even with dinner) because they can go in the fridge without spilling. Also, I never have a container of water in the fridge to keep up with, because we just use ice and water and pop in the fridge when not in use.

*MAKE YOUR KIDS DO CHORES. Look, just because you are lazy doesn't mean THEY get to be lazy. Also, and this is important, it's your job, as a parent, to teach kids to care for themselves. One of our kids does dishes daily. The other one brings the laundry from all the rooms to Mommy's hamper. Each is responsible for his own bedroom and putting away his laundry, and they clean their bathroom together.

*STOP PICKING UP AFTER EVERYONE ELSE. Now, sometimes you have to pick up after someone else. After all, how do you vacuum the floor with toys on it when your kid is at school and not around to pick up? Simple. Pick up the toys and put them on the guilty child's chair at the dinner table. The rule here is that, before eating, you put away anything in your spot. That includes folded or hanging laundry, draped over the chairs.

*TAKE IT OUT, PLAY, PUT IT AWAY. The toy scenario above rarely happens because my kids know this rule that I learned from Loki's (wonderful) pre-K teacher. They must "put it away" before moving on to another activity. I don't nag. I just don't allow another activity. Sometimes, they will sit there, not putting it away for an hour or two. Whatever. I'm watching Orphan Black, so it doesn't hurt me any!

*HANG OR FOLD CLOTHES IMMEDIATELY. Seriously. Right when the dryer buzzes. Then, pass it off to the kids' seats at the dinner table and move on without wrinkles, ironing, or piles of clean laundry.

*NO MAKEUP AT HOME. Also not done if I am not leaving the house - blow drying hair, jewelry wearing (other than my wedding rings and watch), and sometimes pants. Not classy, but honest, right?

Let me know your lazy ideas in the comments!

Also, try these SIMPLE WAYS TO SAVE TIME from my post last July. Have a lazy Saturday!

Etcetera.