Work Schedules & Employment Preparedness

When life's daily work schedule and responsibilities get a bit overwhelming it is a really good idea to start an "Employment Preparedness" list. 

This is a daily schedule of things you MUST do in order to get out the door on time and to be certain you have what you need to get through the day. It is also a list of things you need to use on a regular basis to keep on your tight, busy schedule.

This is a fact of life for me in the beginning of the year with the job I do. Our convention season hits and I have no life! When I am doing a 10 to 12 hour and more shift for 7 days in a row (or more!) I need a regular routine and an idea of what I have at hand so I can get through this period of the year in a healthy state of mind and body.

My daily list?

• Wake 2 hours before time to clock in
• (I Should meditate and do some spiritual reading in the first 1/2 hour awake)
• Do Breakfast
• Feed my pets
• Shower - Dress - Grooming
• Pack My Lunch
• Leave For Work within 1/2 hour of start time.

Preparedness can be applied to many areas of our lives and not just disaster planning. By preparing we are not only saving time and money, but we are saving a little piece of mind along the way. This is what frugal living is! Saving time and money and not just being a spend thrift! Create lists of things you need to function daily and fill that list. This should be a small portion of your food and goods storage. Survival isn't all about emergency items. By doing this you can create a less stressful life pattern.

Now, in order to keep up this work schedule I need to stock up on my household needs. Having a back up of products like a bottle or two of shampoo and other household goods enables me to glide through this time period. I am too tired to think about going shopping and I don't need to hassle of being out of something I need just to get ready for work. What I need to do focus on at this time is doing my job, get enough rest, and make sure I have plenty of nutritional items to help me have the energy to keep up this grueling schedule. Without a routine, I am flustered and my day is sideways. I can't be a good employee this way.

Stocking up on the goods I need are easy in the off months. I simply buy a couple of extra things to put away.  If you want to boost the storage on them and have the space, plan on adding a box of items per person for their use.

This is what I try to keep on hand at all times. When the stock is down to one item then I do add it to a shopping list. I keep these together in a file box in my linen closet.

Bathroom And Bath Items:
The following is a list of goods for one person. It should last about 90 days or so.

• Shampoo: 3 bottles
• Conditioner: 3 bottles
• Hairspray: 2 cans
• Bar Soap: 6 cakes
• Liquid Body Soap: 2 bottles
• Toothpaste: 2 tubes
• Toilet Paper: 30 rolls

Cleansers and other cleaning items can be backed up with just one of each of the products you use. They aren't an essential part of your daily routine.

Busy Times 

Fast Meals

My kitchen has to be able to support a good, healthy, and quick diet. If I am eating poorly, my energy suffers and my attitude gets cranky. With the right nutritional support, as we have discussed in previous blog posts, I can maintain this schedule as long as I can also rest in between shifts.

My breakfast is simple. I grab cold cereal or a bowl of oatmeal and make a cup of Pero. Pero is a chickory beverage like decaf. I would drink coffee but I am allergic to caffeine! And that makes things really tough for trying to keep up the energy for this schedule! I take a multi vitamin for the energy and essential minerals I need in the morning as I rush off to work. I bring a package with me that has extras in it in case I am feeling a little off after about 6 hours and I will take another vitamin. They do not always absorb completely in your system so I don't think there is any harm in taking an extra one. I tried cutting them in half but they get stuck in my throat and cause me a bit of heart burn. I don't need any hassles like that during my day right now!

Lunch is two sandwiches if I am not too short on time to make one to take with me. One sandwich is meat and cheese and the other a peanut butter and jelly. With me driving almost constantly I need them cut in quarters so I can eat them quickly. This is not a good diet but it keeps me fed and rolling! I add a few snacks and try to bring fresh fruit with me. Bananas are a must and an occasional apple. Dinner? I stop and get it or have things in the cupboard or freezer that can be heated up in 10 minutes or less. Any more time than that and I would rather go to bed without supper. (Not Good)

Prep Your Pets!

Stock Their Foods

I have a couple of guinea pigs I need to feed in the morning and evening so they are part of the list of things to do daily. I do not ever want them to go hungry. I promised to give them a good life and being prepared for them too is part of that. My lunch is prepared shortly after I feed the piggies and out the door I go! The only shopping I do at this time is for fresh fruits and veggies. We, my guinea piggies and I need a fresh base of salads and goodies to eat daily. I do store away their dry foods and the timothy hay they consume. An extra bag of their bedding is also part of their storage. They eat an 8 pound bag of pellet foods per week so I try to keep an extra bag of that on hand. It would be great to have room for bigger bags but this works for now. Ideally our garden would produce the things we need in fresh foods but in winter that is not possible.

Another area of my life has been prepared by stocking up on undergarments and socks. I have enough of both to go a full 6 weeks without having to do a load of laundry. The only thing I have to do is toss a suit in the dry cleaners and I am set for the week. I couple the things I need for waking in the morning in the bath and get myself some much needed rest.

So, I am just rambling here at the end but I want to know what things are important for you to keep up a hectic pace? Feel free to share them here! Thanks for reading about my hectic schedule!