Keeping on top of life admin

Most of us have a long list of life admin tasks that we put off, week in, week out. However, you can shake off that procrastination and get your admin tasks under control. Follow these simple and effective tips to help you stay on top of these tasks.

As defined by the Urban Dictionary, life admin is one’s personal day-to-day chores that are of an administrative nature. This includes tasks such as personal banking, making appointments, paying your bills and responding to personal emails.

Write a list

Lighten your mental load by writing a list and sorting it into priority order. If there are due dates to some tasks, i.e. paying bills, write these dates down too.

Writing the list in priority order can relieve some pressure, as you realise not everything needs to be done straight away. It can also identify similar tasks that can be done together, saving you time.

Manage regular payments

This can mean setting up direct debits for your bills, or organising regular money transfers to your bill accounts – this method of advance payments can mean that they are often paid by the time you get them. Alternatively, set a reminder in your smart phone, use a bill reminder app, mark dates on your calendar or look into new methods that are offering bill payment solutions (possibly at a cost).

Go digital

Digitalising your bills, bank statements and other important documents will free up paperwork, filing and make everything easier to manage. This will save you sorting mail, filing and/or shredding. Most utility companies offer free apps that provide quick bill access and payment solutions.

Schedule it in

Schedule tasks in by setting reminders or appointments in your smart phone, or set time aside each week or month to complete these tasks. Make it a regular thing, such as 30-60 minutes each week or four+ hours per month to get these tasks done.

Everybody is different. Discover what works for you by trying different methods. The good news is, that once you have done these tasks once, it takes a lot less time to maintain most of them going forward, keeping you organised and giving you more time.

life admin tasks