IT’S OUT!!!!!
What a day yesterday was. Writing a book is probably a once in a lifetime thing for me, so the publication day of ‘An Edited Life‘ felt like a strange mix of a special birthday and a wedding day. My phone buzzed all day long with messages from friends, family and readers and I held a launch party with the lovely lasses from Space NK and filled the room with the most supportive group of people a girl could ask for (and about 17 bowls of macaroni cheese which went down A TREAT). A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the book, bought a copy, loaned it from the library, downloaded the digital version, got yourself the worksheet bundle – THANK YOU. It’s a day that I won’t forget anytime soon and it felt like the start of a really special couple of months.
The first day of which starts today with my first book event! Hello to anyone who got a ticket for the Waterstones event in London tonight (for a list of locations and links of where to buy tickets for the U.K tour check out the description box of my latest video), see you later! Before I head out for the day though I thought I’d share 10 of my favourite tips from AEL. Now these are just 10 of like 1957 tips that I share in there – the whole book is 80,000 words for you to devour – but these are some of the best that I’ve found to really have an impact in my day-to-day running of all things life organisation…
Take a digital detox and actually enjoy it (taken from the ‘Self Care’ chapter). One of my New Year’s resolutions is to cut down on my screen-time and I’ve been using my own advice from this chapter to decrease my scrolling. Instead of doing a whole day’s worth of digitally detoxing, I’ve been trying to increase the length of time between picking up my phone and I’ve managed to decrease my screen time by 40% in just a week. Blog post coming soon.
Leave the house everyday (taken from the ‘Organise Your Workspace’ chapter). There’s a section in this chapter that’s a nod to my fellow freelancers and working-from-homers where I share three pearls of wisdom for how to work for yourself at home and still get work done. It might not be possible for everyone, but getting out the house once a day has done incredible things for me, not only psychically, but mentally too. I see people! I move! I get fresh air, and it feels great. A good midday wake-up for the brain.
Make a note of when gift vouchers you have been given expire and set a reminder to use them (taken from the ‘Money’ chapter). I love receiving a good ol’ gift voucher as a gift, but I am terrible at using them. It’s the reason why Mark and I had to pay a three-figure sum to extend a voucher we’d been given for a hot air balloon ride and why I’ve just forked out for a bread making course. What is wrong with us, eh? So I’ve started to make a note in my diary of when vouchers expire and set a reminder too. Time that book that spa day.
Display, use and love your sentimental goods (taken from the ‘How to Streamline and Organise Your Home’ chapter. When I wrote this section I realised that I really wasn’t practising what I was preaching and have since taken all our photos down from out the loft and put them in a photo album. It didn’t take long and we’ve actually got it out loads to show friends and family old photos we have of them when they come to visit. A nice way to enjoy them, instead of them getting dusty up in the loft.
Understand the importance of saying ‘no’ (taken from the How To Have a Social Life That Works for You’ chapter. I’ve been leaning into saying ‘no’ for around two years now and it’s made all the difference both professionally and in my social life. It’s meant that I’ve got time in my schedule to spend time with those who I just ADORE being around, but has also given me more time in my schedule to create more content, have more time to think about things and generally just not rush around London like a headless chicken trying to fit in 38 meetings/events/coffees. Quality over quantity and all that.
Struggling to get through your to-do list? Set yourself three tasks to do each day (taken from the ‘How To Get Tasks Done’ chapter). I spoke about this in my latest organisation and planning vlog, but three tasks a day is the optimal amount of to-do list tasks when we’re talking about actually getting stuff done. I find that it breaks up nicely into morning, early-afternoon and late-afternoon chunks and 90% of the time because it doesn’t feel too overwhelming and I’m not trying to juggle 187 things at once, I tick them off.
Buy a cashmere comb. You’ll feel well fancy (taken from the ‘How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe’ chapter). If you have knitwear of any kind hanging up in your wardrobe, then you need to get yourself a cashmere comb. Not just for cashmere, it’s basically like a pumice stone but for fabrics and can de-bobble your best jumper that has begun to look like it’s growing a whole new jumper out of itself, in a matter of seconds. A great way for eking the lifetime of garments.
Invest in micro-fibre cloths for household cleaning (taken from the ‘Running a Home’ chapter). My mate Sally told me that her friend had told her that she needed to buy some microfibre cloths for cleaning around the house, so Sal passed on that nugget of information to me and they’re great! We bought a colourful pack and use different ones for cleaning different areas of the home so we don’t end up using the loo rag on the hob surface, but it’s cut down our kitchen roll use majorly and they can clean everything from mirrors and windows, to floors and surfaces.
Get into online food shopping. I know I sound like a Grandma, but it’s the future guys (taken from the ‘Self Care’ section). I’d been extremely resistant to the idea of online food shopping, because there is this idea perpetuated by both my Mum and Grandma that you’ll be chosen the mouldiest fruit possible by the lovely people who prepare your shopping list for you, however – it’s blown my mind. I now go to a real-life supermarket about once a month. The rest of the time I do online food shopping and it takes a matter of minutes to order each week; set yourself up with favourites lists from the beginning to make it super fast and get into a routine by doing your order and delivery at the same time every week.
Do a food shop before you head on holiday to be delivered on your return (taken from the ‘Running a Home’ chapter). This tip might look small and subtle, but quite honestly it’s a game-changer. Now whenever we got away I order a food shop with all the basics, our breakfast and lunch supplies and the ingredients for a dinner or two (that will give plenty of leftovers), and a food box delivery to come on the same day so that dinner is sorted for the week as well. It means you have time to sort out your post-holiday admin, without also having to consider whether you’ll be able to battle the jet-lag while in the fresh fruit aisle.
Photos by Emma Croman
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