Do you want to improve your life? Do you sometimes feel like you are not really in control and are simply going with the flow? Do you feel like you need a day or two to get your life together? How many times do you find yourself saying”One of these days I am going to get my life together?”
Or do you get overwhelmed on some days and feel like you have no idea of the direction in which your life is headed? We have all been there. We have all felt lost at some point in our lives. And sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, you have no control over your life. We all want to be more intentional with our lives and spend our time and energy where we really want to. But that doesn’t always happen.
Even when you set goals for yourself and are super organised, sometimes life simply gets in the way. And you are faced with days when you feel super demotivated and feel like you are stuck in a rut.
The fact is, we set goals but don’t always end up achieving those goals because we stand in our own way. We procrastinate and get distracted from our goals. Sometimes we do that intentionally by mindlessly scrolling through social media for hours. And sometimes it’s not intentional and becomes a bad habit. We end up not taking care of ourselves, not indulging in self care and simply working to a point where we face a burn out.
We also often compare ourselves to others and their idea of success and forget to work towards our own goals.
Do you stand in your own way too? Do you find yourself wasting your time and not working towards your goals. Or do you often spend hours binge watching Netflix and then regretting it later?
Don’t be disheartened. It happens to the best of us.
And I am not totally against the idea of slowing down for a couple of days and relaxing a bit. We all need that too, at times. And in fact, it is perfectly healthy to allow yourself some down time. We all need it once in a while. But what matters is how you pick yourself up and how you get out of a rut.
You will only be able to appreciate the down time, when you come out of it feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on new challenges and work towards your goals.
And, to feel productive and at the top of your game, you need a GYLT day i.e. A Get Your Life Together day. I have been doing these for so many years now and I can honestly say, they are a bit underrated. But if you want to give it a try, then you are in the right place. We are going over exactly how to have a perfect GYLT day.
What exactly is a GYST day?
GYST or Get Your Shit Together day is exactly what it sounds like. It is a day dedicated to getting your life together. It is a day where you take care of all the important tasks, get your life in order and realign your goals. These are also popularly known as GYlT days which means a day to Get Your Life Together.
I am honestly fine with both the names, as long as they serve their purpose. Which is essentially to help you feel like you are in control of your life and you are not simply just going with the flow.
Why do you need a GYST day?
You need a GYLT day to get your life in order and to get on top of the chores and tasks that you have been putting off for a while. Doing a GYLT day will let you get all these tasks done and help you get your home and life in order.
If you have been putting off doing some tasks like renewing your car insurance, doing some handy work around the house, mowing the lawn and what not, doing a GYST day will help. It is basically a day where you take care of everything so that these admin tasks don’t pop up when you are working. You can also take this day to get things that you have been procrastinating, done.
We all know how distracting they can be and how they affect our productivity as well.
How to have a GYST/RESET Day:
Now, coming onto how to have the perfect GYST day, it honestly depends from person to person. Maybe your house looks like it was hit by a tornado or your laundry pile looks like it has gulped your laundry basket, then you may majorly want to focus on those chores.
Or maybe you feel like you have been eating shit food, then on a GYLT day, you can meal prep and do a healthy grocery shopping. So it will depend on which areas of your life need your attention. And how often.
Some people are perfectly fine doing a GYLT day once a month. I, on the other hand, do so every 2 weeks. I feel like if I wait for an entire month, the list gets quite long and I start dreading doing a GYLT day. And that kind of defeats the purpose right? So I do a GYLT day every 2 weeks or so and then do a smaller weekly reset day every week. Here is everything I do for a quick Weekly reset every weekend.
But you can do them as often as you like. And you can include whatever chores/tasks you like. But to give you an idea, here are some of the things that will help you have the perfect GYLT day:
Take care of your chores or Maintenance:
The first part of having a GYST days is your chores or what you can call Maintenance tasks around the house. These are the tasks that come up throughout the week or the ones that you procrastinate. This category could include things like decluttering the house, doing laundry, deep cleaning the house, fixing light bulbs, changing the sheets, cleaning the car etc.
Take care of Yourself:
Other than the chores and your house, you need some love and care too. And while ideally you shouldn’t wait for a GYST day for some self care, it doesn’t hurt to indulge in some extra pampering for yourself. It could be anything from a movie night to doing an at home mani-pedi, putting on a hair mask etc.
Plan out the coming weeks/Month:
Depending on how far in advance do you like planning, take some time in your GYST day to plan out the next couple of weeks or the next month. This is where you schedule appointments, meetings etc and also, plan out your content calendars if you create any sort of content online.
And if it’s getting overwhelming and you feel like you can’t plan out that far in advance, start by planning just the next day. Plan your to-dos for the next day and that will get you started on the right note on a Monday (given that you are doing a GYST on Sunday).
Look at your goals and align your to-dos accordingly:
A GYST day is also great because you can look at your goals and align your to-do accordingly. They allow you to refocus on your goals. You are more likely to achieve your goals and hit your targets when you take the time to re-evaluate. So, a GYST day is great because you get to ask yourself “What I am doing that’s pushing me closer to my goals and how can I do things differently?”
Now that we know what categories of tasks we need to get done on a GYST day, let’s talk about the best way to plan your GYST day and have the best GYST day ever!
How to have the perfect GYST day:
STEP 1: Write Down your list of to-dos as they pop up:
Step 1 is to keep writing down tasks as they pop up throughout the week or two. That way you will have a to-do list when you are doing your GYST day and you will know what you need to get done. These are the kind of tasks that keep piling up but the ones that aren’t as urgent so you keep procrastinating actually doing them.
Maybe it’s cleaning and decluttering your car or a big pile of laundry. Whatever it is, write it down on your list so that you can tackle it when it’s time.
You could also keep a list of groceries that you need to get. So whenever something finishes from the pantry, write it down on this list and you can get it when you are on your grocery run on your GYST day.
STEP 2: Plan out your GYST Day:
In the morning on your GYSt day, take out some time to plan your day. look at your to-do list for the day and plan what activities are you going to get done first. Maybe you could start with putting a load of laundry in the washer and then getting the house clean while that cycle runs. It’s all about prioritising and getting on top on your to-do list.
There is of course no right or wrong here. I typically like to schedule my day hour by hour on a GYST day so that I can be super productive and get things done. I also like getting the house in order and giving it a deep clean before I head out to run errands and do my groceries.
And when I come back from the groceries, I like to do my meal prep for the week or so before taking some downtime and having an at home spa. Choosing what self care activity you will do at the end of the day will also help you stay super focussed and motivated throughout the day. Just make sure it’s something you really love. It could be anything from a bubble bath to a wine and movie night, whatever you want.
STEP 3: Start the day a little earlier:
I typically like to get my GYST day started a little early in the mornings. I am not saying you should too. But I like doing so because it gives me more time to relax in the evenings, which I prefer. If you prefer sleeping in and then getting your day started, that’s what you should do.
There is just one bit of advice though; start your day feeling fresh. So drinking a little too much or having a movie marathon on the previous night is probably not the best idea.
So, ideally, you should get good sleep and then have a good healthy filling breakfast in the morning before you get started with the rest of your day.
What to do when you don’t have time for a GYST day:
If you feel like you don’t have the time to dedicate an entire day as a GYST day, that’s okay. Maybe you could dedicate 3-4 hours on a Sunday evening to get your life in order. I do that too on weekends when I am really busy or I have plans with friends. I typically spend about 3-4 hours on Sundays to get everything in order. And that usually involves cleaning the house, doing a load of laundry or two, getting groceries, doing some basic meal prep and taking a long shower. And then before I sleep, I take 20 minutes to make a to-do list for the next few days.
And if you find that you are short on time too, all you need to do is prioritise. Doing a full GYST day is not always possible. But you should make it a habit to dedicate at least a few hours to get everything in order and get your most crucial tasks done. Getting these tasks done will help you feel more organised and ready to take on the upcoming weeks.
Other THINGS That Help:
Apart from doing a GYST day when you have the time, there are some other things that can help you be more organised and have your life in order. And one of my favourites is ROUTINES.
I feel like when you set up routines, you are basically setting yourself up for success. Routines help you get your life in order on the daily so you have less work to do on GYST days. Here are some routines that help me have a smoother life on the daily:
- Morning routine: Having a morning routine allows you to start your day on the right note. My morning routine typically involves doing a quick 15 minute declutter and clean of the house, working out and having a healthy home cooked meal. I also always make sure to write a to-do list and prioritise before getting my work started.
- Night Routine: Night routine is to help you unwind after a long day so that you feel ready to tackle on the next day. I typically do self care, some reading and make sure to log off from screens at a reasonable hour.
- Meal Planning & Prepping: I always Meal plan for the entire week so that I am not wasting money and time on groceries and in thinking what to have to breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week. I also do a meal prepping, usually on Sundays.
- Grocery Shopping List: I never ever shop without a grocery list and it has saved me so much money over the years. And it gives me peace of mind too because I know I won’t forget anything. I start making a list whenever I run out of something in the pantry and then keep adding to this list throughout the week.
- Cleaning Lists: If your house is always in shambles and you’re wondering how do some people keep it clean, here is a little secret. Make cleaning lists to begin with. Making a daily, weekly and a monthly cleaning list. Daily should be the very basic list of things you can do in about 15 minutes. They are a life saver.
- Things to do at the start of every Month: Want to start your month on the right note? Here are the 10 things you need to do in order to get your life in order every month and be ready to tackle your goals.
Other things to consider:
Apart from the routines, there are some other things that you should consider when it comes to getting your life together and those are HABITS. Habits can make or break your life. I am not even exaggerating. The only thing that’s standing between you and your dream life is your habits. And if you want to live your best life, you need to start by adopting some good habits that will help you get there.
Now it depends from person to person. Not everyone wants to wake up at 4:30 A.M and not everyone needs to. But, here are some habits that fit almost everyone:
Work Out for 30 Minutes everyday: Working out for at least 30 minutes everyday and getting your sweat on, is a good habit that will keep you feeling energised and less lethargic. It is not only good for your physical health but for your mental health as well. So make it a habit to move your body for at least 30 minutes everyday. When you are workout, you are also more productive and thus feel more ready to tackle on the day and it’s easier to get things done.
Eating Good: Eating good is one of the best habits you can adopt. Eating healthy nutritious food and feeding your body the right fuel is so important for it to function properly. And when you are taking care of your body and feeding it good nutritious home cooked balanced meals, it shows in other aspects of your life too. you skin glows, your hair gets better, you have more energy throughout the day and you glow from the inside.
Plan your Day: Planning your day the night before or in the morning is essentially setting yourself up for success. So take 10-15 minutes everyday to plan out your day and to map your priorities. Write a list of to-dos everyday, so don’t miss out on things that are important. It is such a simple tool but highly effective in helping you getting your life in order.
And that’s it. Everything you need to know to have the perfect GYST day. So take out a day every week or bi-weekly or monthly and Get your Life together. It is honestly the best feeling when you know you are on top of your chores and your to-dos, your pantry is stocked, meal planned and prepped and your to-dos align with your long term goals. And once you get started, you will get hooked, because it makes that much of a difference.
Do you do a GYST or a RESET day? Tell me what do you do on yours in the comments below! 🙂
Leave a Reply