Life Admin - Never a Pleasure; Always a Chore!
If you've found this blog and you’re thinking, "Why is there even a need for these tips?" Congratulations! You've probably hacked the adulting code, and there's no need to read on. But if your life seems to consist of running from one potential life admin disaster to another, with no end in site, thank goodness you’re here! Perhaps I can help?
When we were children, we couldn't wait to be 18 and become an ADULT! 🍾 We pictured the power to choose, to be free, to shape our own lives and do what we want, when we want. However, when reality sets in, you realise being an adult isn’t quite what it seems.
To quote from the film, Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility”, and ‘adulting’ is no exception! As the realisation dawns that you are now responsible for handling your own stuff, to-do lists, filled with small tasks, quickly pile up into a mountain of things that need to be done. And don't be fooled; it isn't about chasing dreams or smashing career goals—this is just about the ordinary, run-of-the-mill, day-to-day admin of life.
Managing life admin isn't just a minor annoyance; for some it can feel like a full-time job, especially when it doesn’t come naturally. Was someone supposed to teach us how?
The Struggle Is Real!
Think about the sheer number of things you need to track to keep things ticking over:
Household essentials: Ensuring that water, electricity, gas, and council tax bills are all paid on time. Planning meals and buying groceries. Washing, ironing and cleaning. It’s standard, right?
Health Matters: Scheduling dentist check-ups, doctor's appointments, eye tests, and generally taking care of yourself.
Social Responsibilities: Remembering birthdays and anniversaries, sending gifts or cards, organising gatherings, and keeping track of other personal commitments. Showing you are a good friend and a caring and reliable member of the family.
Insurances and Financials: Contents, building, life, and travel insurance to protect yourself and your stuff. Bank statements reviews and credit card management to ensure you don't get scammed or caught out.
Vehicle Management: Keeping your tax, MOT, insurance and service up-to-date—one lapse and you're not just dealing with inconvenience; you're facing fines or worse.
And this is just the beginning. If you've got kids, your workload multiplies exponentially. Then it's not just the standard life admin; you must also manage nursery schedules, school appointments, childminders, and extracurricular activities. Suddenly, your weekends are filled with birthday parties, playdates, and school events that demand your time and attention. If you're juggling multiple children at multiple schools, I feel your pain! The increase in complexity means there's even less time to take a breath.
Let’s go next level… Family Fun Day Out! Trying to remember to take everything with you—snacks, drinks, spare clothes, toys, chargers. And that's before you realise you've forgotten something crucial, like sunscreen or a change of shoes for the kids. I've left home thinking I had everything, only to realise half way there that I left the nappy bag on the stairs at home. One small oversight like that and your relaxing day out becomes a stressful scramble for supplies.
And don't even get me started on pets! Leads, poo bags, food, water, treats, and vet’s appointments. Phew! I'm exhausted just talking about it!
Life Admin 2.0
Then we have the hidden admin load of the digital age: endless digital subscriptions, online passwords, thousands of digital photos to sort, and tech admin, like software updates, and keeping devices backed up. Even something as simple as keeping your phone charged or finding the correct charger when you need it (especially challenging if there is a teenager in the house), can become an added stressor when you’re cognitively maxed out.
Strategies to Take Back Control
Now, I am not saying any of these challenges are complicated or insurmountable, but they do increase your mental load, and your capacity to cope can be limited. I have long struggled with keeping on top, and for someone who is known for being highly organised and implementing operationally efficient systems and processes at work, that’s more than a little embarrassing. But I’ll say it again, for a lot of us, managing life admin does not come naturally, and that’s why I wanted to share some tips I’ve learned over my 36 years of adulting.
1. Make a List - But only one!
I keep a single electronic task list for every aspect of my life and add everything I need to do; even the little things. Whether setting up car insurance renewal reminders, remembering Aunt Margaret's birthday or messaging my bestie about a night out, everything goes in one place. I don’t rely on email reminders, as they may get lost in the sea of emails I get. Also, trying to rely on my memory isn’t actually reliable, so using a digital tool, like a task app helps me keep track of both short-term and long-term priorities. I tag the tasks to categorise them, and then check though weekly and allocate a day to a thing that needs to be done.
2. Take Time To Set Up for Success
I set reminders on tasks that have a set day or time to nudge me in enough time to get things done. For example, 15 minutes before regular daily tasks like feeding my dogs, (so I am not rushing just before I leave for an early meeting) and a week or two in advance for time-consuming tasks such as sorting insurance renewals or buying, wrapping and sending birthday presents. This way, I won't be caught off-guard by the last-minute surprise of something I forgot to do..
3. Use an Electronic Calendar for Everything
I use my phone's electronic diary to track work and personal appointments, and social events. I have it synced across all my devices and with my task list. It's always with me so I can see my availability and book events in on the go. I can see my entire day or week at a glance, which makes it easier to spot potential overlaps or free slots for a bit of downtime. I also block out time before events to get ready, travel and park - all with reminders so I am prompted to stay on track. I know how it sounds, but it really is the only way I can prevent the nagging feeling that I am missing something.
4. Create a Trip Checklist
For day trips, holidays, or work meetings at clients premises, I use a standard checklist to pack. It's a simple fix because I only need to think about it the first time I create it. The checklist contains everything I might need, so that I am prompted to take particular items then I have less chance of forgetting something, and if I don’t need something this time, I can make a conscious choice not to take it. The checklists live in my digital task app and I reuse them each time to ensue I have the essentials, like dog leads, medication, or my laptop charger - all of which I have previously forgotten!
5. My Digital ‘Filing Cabinet’
Digitally storing my important documents in the cloud means they are always accessible when I need them. Travel documents, insurance certificates, and warranties are easy to find; saving time and also saving space in my house. I use Microsoft OneDrive for storage, but Google Drive or iCloud are just as good for keeping everything secure. I don’t store anything locally on my laptop or in my phone in case they break or I lose them, but I do ensure my devices are automatically backed up to save time on configuring replacements, or when I upgrade.
6. ‘Show Me The Money!’
I set up direct debits or standing orders for everything I possibly can, to ensure bills don’t get missed. Then I make time each week to check my bank accounts and credit card transactions online or in the app. It only takes a few minutes but will ensure there are no errors that cause a problem with other payments. I learned this the hard way when a scammer stole £2500 from my bank account with a cloned card, taking me into overdraft and preventing my direct debits being paid. I got all the money back but it took a long time as I only realised it was gone when I was informed by the bank about a bounced payment. I had to contact all the companies who were expecting a payment to explain the situation, which was an extra task I just didn’t need.
7. My ‘In Tray’ Is Still In
I have a designated place for all incoming paperwork that needs action. I still make a note on my task list, noting any due dates, but I save the physical document to work with later. Fortunately there aren’t many items that come in the post these days, but some important things like the Car Tax do. I schedule time each week to sort through the in tray and take any necessary actions. This prevents letters from becoming lost in a tidy up, and I can scan any essential documents to the cloud once I have completed the task.
8. Empty Your Email
I forward actionable emails directly to my task list and give them a deadline to be completed, and then delete or archive them, so they are not just hovering in my inbox forever. I try as much as possible to work with an empty inbox, so I can avoid the hassle of trying to find stuff. I also unsubscribe from marketing emails, as the volume of offers and newsletters I receive cluttered my inbox and distracted me from more important messages. (It also saved me some money too, as I am sure I do not need to buy more dog jumpers just because they are 10% off in the next 24 hours!)
9. Delegate!
“To who?”, you might ask. If you live with a partner, housemate or even a teenager or grown up child, agree some responsibilities. For example, at our house, my husband takes out the bins, and because it’s his responsibility I don’t even think about it. I quite often don’t register which bin is going out when! It’s just one small thing that doesn’t sit on my list. Obviously this isn’t the only thing he does; We are clear about who does what, so we can forget about those tasks and let the other person get on with it. Cleaners, housekeepers and Personal PA’s are also available, so if you can afford it they are also a great option.
Things I Have Yet to Master
Despite all my skills and experience, I still struggle with some aspects of being an adult, especially if I don’t like the task. So, if you have any tips for the following, please let me know!
Meal Planning - I hate cooking; even thinking about what to cook annoys me, and if I do write a meal plan there’s a good chance I won’t want to eat that when the day comes.😖
Food Shopping - I go, no list, no meal plan, just freewheeling around. When I get home I realise I have 4 packs of kitchen towels in the cupboard already but I have failed to buy milk, and we are all out! I do use Alexa to keep a shopping list, but if I don’t keep her up to date, anything can happen. 😂
Cleaning - Another one of those domestic chores I find incredibly frustrating. Kitchen, tidy and clean, walk to another room, come back and BOOM there’s more crumbs and dirty crockery.🤯
Laundry - Guess what? I don’t like it! 😂 There's so many steps… sort, wash, hang out or tumble dry, fold or hang, maybe iron (I try not to buy things that need it) and put away. Every step has waiting time - or the ‘memory vortex’ as I like to call it, as it gives me the opportunity to forget it’s time for the next step.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear that life admin is one of those inevitable aspects of being an adult that no one prepares us for. We know it’s never going to be exciting or rewarding, but taking control of it does free up your time and mental energy for the things you do care about. The tips I’ve shared, work for me - they may not work for you, but if they even get you thinking about ways to make it easier for yourself, great! At the very least you can take comfort in the fact that you are not the only one struggling. Remember, even small changes can make a huge difference, and if you tackle one area at a time, you’ll slowly end up being able to master the whole lot!
If you're struggling, I'd be happy to help you figure it out. Together, we'll talk about what could be work best for you.
