January has been and gone and we are now well and truly into this New Year. Many of us will have made resolutions for the New Year and whether we continue with them is another thing!
One important thing to do before the year disappears anymore is to review our life admin and get on top of the things we might usually put off.
Getting on top of these life admin tasks that we usually put off, can make a profound improvement to our wellbeing. When we are always carrying around to-do lists and putting off tasks time and time again, even if it’s a mental to-do list, we are always keeping our mind cluttered. It’s time to declutter and complete all these tasks so we can get on with life in a more stress-free way.
Read on for a list of 10 life admin tasks to prioritise to help you get on top of your life.
1. Review your insurances
We all need insurance for so many things and it’s important to review them from time to time to ensure they still reflect our needs. For example, does your life insurance value still suit your lifestyle? And could you save money by switching home or motor insurance and then put the saved money to better use? If you haven’t changed insurance suppliers for a while then you might be paying more than you need to, or they might not be suited to your current lifestyle needs. Review your insurances and check a comparison site like Protect Your Family to find the right insurances for your current requirements.
2. Organise your email
Is your email inbox full to the brim of unopened emails? Don’t let it get this way! It’s easier than ever to stay on top of emails with smartphones allowing easy email access nowadays. Have folders for any receipts or important documents you need to keep from your emails, but bin the rest that is useless! Start unsubscribing from all the emails trying to sell you stuff that is of no use and keep a working inbox only. Keep things that are in progress and need your attention in your inbox and either categorise the rest into folders or bin it. That way only the emails in the actual inbox need your attention and once dealt with they are binned or added to a folder. Keep it like this and you’ll be way on top of your email inbox!
3. Sort your end of life planning
This is one that most people put off and don’t even want to think about. Just get it done and then it’s done! The main thing is to write a will if you have dependent children and/or any assets. Writing a will allows you to express what you wish to be done with all your belongings, property and money in the event of your death. If you have children then it also expresses your wishes for their care; this is especially important if you are their sole carer. See this checklist of end-of-life prep you need to stop avoiding.
4. Review your utility bills
We all need internet, water, electric and gas as a matter of survival. Yep, even the internet is classed as an essential for our modern day lives. But if you haven’t switched provider in a long time or haggled you bill down, then you could be paying way over the odds. Is My Bill Fair is a handy tool that does exactly what it says. Enter your package details and the price you pay to see how it compares to everyone else on the same service as you. If you’re paying above the odds then it’s time to haggle your bill down and let your provider know you want a better deal!
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5. Schedule in self-care
Yes, this is ultra-important. Whilst you’re sorting out your calendar and busily plotting social meetups, work events and family events, make sure you also schedule in moments for self-care; an evening off to indulge yourself in a relaxing bubble bath, your favourite film and a takeout perhaps. Self-care is so important and it’s vital you pencil in time just for you to refocus and relax. Life admin doesn’t all have to be boring!
6. Check your subscriptions
Hopefully you know where all your money is going, but if you kind of leave it up to the Gods, then it’s time to check in with your finances and see exactly what’s going out to who. Go through your bank statement for at least the last 30 days so you can see where all your regular outgoings are going. Write down your memberships and subscriptions and make sure you still use them all. If you don’t then it’s time to cancel them and reclaim the money going forwards.
7. Declutter your home
If you’ve overflowing wardrobes, drawers, cupboards, a loft and garage, and some old mobile phones or gadgets that you no longer use, then it’s time for that clear out you might have been putting off for yonks. Imagine how many unused items could be put to better use somewhere else, eliminating the need to manufacture new goods, thereby reducing unnecessary consumption! Sort out your clutter, donate what you can, and sell your old mobile phones, gadgets, or whatever you can. Compare their current market value and snag the fair price. Just avoid throwing anything in a landfill. If you have unusable items, then take them to your local recycling centre as they may recycle the raw materials.
8. Get your pension / retirement savings in check
Have you started saving for your retirement? It’s so important to start saving as soon as you can. Just think – if you want to retire in your early 60s then you’ll likely work for around 40 years of your life and you could live for 40 years after retirement. So, that’s only 40 years to save enough money to pay for 40 years of non-working life! You might not live that long, but you might! It’s best to be prepared and so it pays to have a plan in place for retirement. Make sure you have something set up that you are saving into regularly.
9. Update your CV
Think about your employment and career and where you want it to go. If you’re not happy in your current role then you need to update your CV and start applying for new roles. There’s nothing worse than staying in a job you detest. Need new skills? Look into courses to progress your career or even what you need to do something new altogether. We spend a lot of our time working, so it has to be mostly enjoyable!
10. Book your health checks
Don’t forget about your regular appointments that help to take care of your health. These are eyesight appointments, dentist appointments, hygienist appointments as well as any regular doctor or nurse appointments you require like important female health checks. Get them booked in and don’t put your health appointments off as they are so important.
This is so handy, thank you! I hadn’t thought of compiling these different things into one list, but you’re right, they’re all admin, and this makes total sense as a way of organising it.