Living Your Day Like a Duchess

I’ve always admired Kate for her ability to always be well put-together and I imagine she leads a very organized day. Like Kate, I have a young son (one month younger than Prince George!) and must maintain a work and home balance. In addition, I am pursuing my Master of Business Administration and must still find time for me (read: exercise). I can’t tell you how often I’ve felt disorganized, unbalanced, and running helter-skelter from one activity to the next. I wonder how she must do it all yet still look so refreshed.

While I don’t have a nanny, nor likely never will (sigh), or staff to assist me during my day (double sigh), I know Kate enjoys doing many things for herself and there are certainly ways she handles it all. After all, Prince George didn’t have a nanny until he was two months old and has only one nanny as opposed to the traditional two for royal families. Not to mention she likes to cook homemade dinners for Will. While many of us will likely never have the resources that Kate does in order to help her manage her time and look so well put-together, I feel that much of it has more to do with the type of person she is than the resources she has. In looking at Kate, I like to think of what she does to maintain a calm lifestyle and I feel inspired to be better than I am now. So although I’d love to peek behind closed doors to get a few tips from her on keeping it together (wouldn’t we all!), I have a few ideas of what I might see.

I’m fairly confident that on most days, the lovely Duchess does not hit the snooze button multiple times in the morning (or beat it into submission like I do). She likely wakes at least two to three hours before any engagement to make sure she has enough time to dress, eat breakfast, have a cup of tea, and spend some time with Cheeks (!). She probably has her outfit laid out the night before and doesn’t scramble for thirty minutes like some people (guilty!) to dry her skirt washed THAT morning; or waste another twenty minutes looking for her toddler’s shoe that he felt belonged in his toy chest. I believe that the tone of our morning sets the stage for the rest of our day. If your day starts off calm and peaceful, then the rest of your day has a better foundation to follow suit.

Part of a successful day is having a plan of what needs to be accomplished and one needs to establish a hierarchy of needs for that plan. What is crucial to do today that should not (or cannot) be put off until tomorrow? It is important to plan for how long those tasks will take as well so that they can be appropriated to the best time slot. Kate likely plans out her day the night before with a list of tasks that must be done and keeps a very detailed calendar of events and appointments – including gym appointments! A wise person once stated you need to schedule gym appointments with yourself just as you would schedule a meeting with an important client and don’t cancel.

While some may find multitasking difficult, Kate likely finds it as absolutely necessary to a productive, non-frazzled day, and groups together items on her To Do list. Try throwing in a load of laundry (yes, I like to think she does her own laundry sometimes!) when you get up in the morning so it’s done when you get home or freeze some meals that can easily be popped into the oven when you come home. The other night I had on a Karin Herzog Essential Face Mask while working on a school assignment! There I was…improving my intellect and skin all at once! Equally important, finish the task at hand. So many times throughout my day I feel tugged in different directions and will stop to work on the task that my mind wandered to. I’ll be dusting the dining room but then remember I forgot to finish unloading the dishwasher, only to get distracted again when answering an email from a client. This results in several unfinished tasks and my home looks like a wind tunnel hit it.

Likewise, when you’re home, be present there. If you absolutely must answer work emails, set aside a certain time to do that. Whether Kate is spending time with Will and Prince George or attending a charity function, I’m sure she practices mindfulness to be present in each moment. It is important to do this in order to give of ourselves wholly.

Part of the reason that Kate looks so refreshed is that she takes time for herself. Whether it’s a glass of wine and a book, popping in a workout DVD during your child’s nap time, or ten minutes of meditation, it is important to carve out time for yourself. If you don’t feel in control of your Self then there is no way you can feel in control of your day. I’ll admit, I now find this difficult to do now that I am a mother and going to school but, while I don’t have a nanny, I do have a loving and adoring husband, along with friends and family whom are more than willing to babysit. Don’t say “no” to help and support!

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