EVERYONE needs an itinerary (no matter how mundane because unless you can afford to hire someone to deal with the mundane, the mundane eats up a big chunk of your life).
You’ve heard the phrases: All The World’s A Stage, Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal, Time Is Money. While on the road working my touring gigs, every second of a show day is scheduled. It is a well planned, well oiled, promptly, properly and efficiently executed machine. When I’m home, my days are planned accordingly. Equating this to your existence, my thinking is why should your daily life be any different, or less important than your vacation? That said…
Time is priceless and gas is expensive. Let me say that again. Time is priceless and gas is expensive. No one should depart the domicile every time they need one tiny little item. It’s a waste of time and money for you and it’s bad for the environment, but soooooo many of us do it all the time. I’ve been guilty of it, but I’ve changed years ago and here’s how. On my handy dandy to-do and to-buy lists, I have multiple stores on the same page, so I can list and see ALL the things I need to do, buy and where I have to go IN ONE SPOT. Then I simply plan/route my trip accordingly, so I don’t waste a second of time, or a drop of gas. Don’t think I don’t hear some of you out there saying that’s OCD behavior, but let me assure you it’s not (because people with actual OCD take offense to that), it’s simply smart, time and life saving behavior which instills a new and good habit into your system. When you waste your time, you waste your life.
Just like they tell you to note the layout of your grocery store and begin your shopping list at the entrance and then around each aisle leading to the check-out, so you don’t bounce all over the place, why not configure all of your chore/shopping travels the same efficient way? I have a laminated itinerary route that I constantly reuse with a dry erase marker. I write out my usual shops and route them in circular order. Example: When I need to go to stores on, or around route 175 in Columbia, I’ll get off 95 and hit all the stores on the right side: Lowes, Best Buy, Trader Joe’s, REI, The Mall, Princeton Sports, then turn around and hit the stores on the right on the way back. No criss crossing and sitting in 2 or 3 extra traffic lights every time you do that. Make the most of the time you’re out choring because seriously, who wants to do chores all day? When you operate efficiently, you have more time for the things you like and want to do (you could also opt for me to be your personal assistant one day a week, but that’s another conversation). Also plan your stops the same way around where you’re going; to and from work, the kids games, the gym, the doctor/dentist, car maintenance, etc.
I have a friend, who always forgets things, and every time I suggest he utilize a list, his response is: “I have a brain for that, I don’t need a list.” It leaves me to wonder what his brain is so busy doing in there while it’s forgetting to remind him to do all the things he needs to do. I have another friend who doesn’t utilize a list simply because she “never has” and she spends her time constantly late and forgetting half of what she’s supposed to be doing and lives in the constant state of chaos (a place that’s never going to make it in a ‘Top 50 States To Live In’ list. Chaos and anarchy is great if you’re in a punk rock band, but it’s no good for living your life productively.
To further plant the seed of To-Do List order in your brain, here’s my itinerary for today: library, bank deposit, Lowes, Best Buy for electronics/CDs/cables recycling drop off, groceries at Trader Joe’s, REI, DICKS, grilled veggie burrito at Baja Fresh, Goodwill drop off, groceries at Mom’s, then back home.
I’ll help you make your itinerary in about 15 minutes. It’s easy peasy organeasy!