I use a basic $5 planner from Staples. I like their version because it has both montly and weekly views, and the weekly pages have ample space for notes. I get really sick of rewriting the same things repeatedly, so I decided to print my priority/chore lists on 2"x4" shipping labels that can be slapped right in the notes section of my planner.
I haven't written much in for this week yet, which will make it a little clearer. First of all, I use pencil for notes I write in the daily section. I cannot stand to have a bunch of things crossed out when they change. I only want things crossed off when I've addressed and completed them. Not to mention that things change enough in my schedule that I'd run out of space if I used a pen all the time. I do use a colored pen to mark things off on the label just so it's easier to see.
You'll see that I write in what I'm planning to fix for dinner beside the date. I divide the notes section for each week day into two sides. On the left side of the day's notes, I write in scheduled things that start at a certain time. On the right side, I write in random things that just need to be done before the end of the day.
Here's a close-up of this week's label.
You can see that I have the daily tasks listed on the left (things that I want to do EVERY day). Beside each thing, I've listed the first initial of the day of the week, and when that item is completed, I mark an "x" over the top of the day's initial.
Daily Priorities (in order of importance)
- Time in the Word
- Vitamins
- Exercise
- Dishes
- Laundry
- Tidy
- Update Quicken (budget stuff)--if I do this every two or three days realistically, that's GREAT!
Then there is the list of chores I need to complete throughout the week. I try to fit them all in Monday through Friday, and I try to make sure that there's at least one day that is a little bit easier so that I can be flexible and squish those things in on another day if something comes up. I have two different sets of weekly lists, but the only difference between the two is the chores listed for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I draw a line through the item once it's completed. You can see above that I've already marked through "kitchen" on Tuesday, but Tuesday is tomorrow. I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen on Saturday, so I'm not going to do it again for another two weeks... so I crossed it off. Here are the weekly sets:
Weekly Chores (Set 1)
- Monday--Monthly ___, Iron
- Tuesday--Dust
- Wednesday--Vacuum, Sweep, Mop
- Thursday--Groceries
- Friday--Bathrooms, Wash Towels/Sheets
- Three Lessons with Ladan
Weekly Chores (Set 2)
- Monday--Monthly ___ (see rotation of chores listed below), Iron
- Tuesday--Kitchen, Sweep, (Mop if necessary)
- Wednesday--Meal Planning
- Thursday--Groceries
- Friday--Bathrooms, Towels/Sheets
- Three Lessons with Ladan
And then there are the "monthly" chores. I have "monthly" in quotations because I have six sets of these, so they really are chores that end up getting done every six weeks. When I made this first set of labels, I had only really thought through four sets of monthly chores, but when I make the new set, there will be six sets that rotate through. I go ahead and write all the monthly chores on each label because then I know what's coming and what I've already accomplished. I set aside Monday to complete the monthly chores on a rotating basis. Here are the "monthly" chores:
"Monthly" Chores
- Monthly Set 1--Dust ceiling fans, clean light fixtures, dust air vents
- Monthly Set 2--Clean walls, clean windows (inside)
- Monthly Set 3--Clean window treatments, vacuum inside furniture
- Monthly Set 4--Check smoke alarms, change filters
- Monthly Set 5--Clean humidifiers, shred paper
- Monthly Set 6--Clean kitchen appliances
So, in the end, I come up with a set of six labels (one for each week) that include these sections:
- Label 1--Daily, Weekly Set 1, Monthly Set 1
- Label 2--Daily, Weekly Set 2, Monthly Set 2
- Label 3--Daily, Weekly Set 1, Monthly Set 3
- Label 4--Daily, Weekly Set 2, Monthly Set 4
- Label 5--Daily, Weekly Set 1, Monthly Set 5
- Label 6--Daily, Weekly Set 2, Monthly Set 6
I don't print more than one set of labels at a time, because there are inevitably improvements or changes I've thought of. Not to mention that life changes all the time. If I were nursing a baby every three hours, I am fairly certain that I would NOT be getting all these things done all the time. My main goal is to get the daily things done, and the weekly/monthly things can be adjusted if necessary.
It's a great form of accountability. Hopefully everything is marked off before I flip the page. By the end of the week, my entire page ends up full of additional notes and lines through things. If anything remains incomplete, I can then transfer it to the next week. Oh, and if I did something that I didn't have written down already, I tend to write it and then immediately cross it off. This helps me remember what it was that came up and filled my day.
Sometimes I really do get everything done in a week, and sometimes I don't. I'm definitely not using this as a tool to promote legalism in my life, and I'm encouraging you against that possibility as well. However, I do very much appreciate the opportunity this gives me to flip back through quickly and determine if I'm struggling to get a particular thing done.
This system will help me see whether or not I'm being realistic. I will also be able to see if I'm overcommitted and am signing up for so many outside things that it's impossible for me to focus on my first priorities (my relationships with and responsibilities to the Lord, Chet, and the boys). It becomes a good tool for evaluating what I really need to get done in a week so that I can determine if I'd rather throw out the dusting for that week and agree to fit something else in... or say "no" to the opportunity that's popped up and stick to the dusting. Sometimes the dusting is more important, and sometimes the other thing is more important. Balance in this way is crucial. For example, Chet is allergic to dust, so if I don't keep up on the dusting, it's not very good for him... and yet, if there's someone who has some important thing they need me to do, Chet won't die if I put the dusting off for a bit... as long as I'm only putting it off for a bit and have time to catch up in the near future.
I hope I've explained this well. Please let me know if it makes no sense at all.
5 comments:
How does this work with the boys running around? I can't quite figure out how to manage the things around the house and Georgia (3) and Henry (3 mos.)
Well, I don't know if I feel inspired or if I feel like a terrible house keeper! I will have to think on it for a few days. :)
Julie, you're hilarious! Every time I have ever come to your house, I've always wondered how you keep it up! :)
Rach,
Before I go any further, as a word of encouragement, Jessica is always telling me how cute your home is and how well you take care of it.
You're definitely in a little bit different situation than I'm in. However, I think it's possible to maybe come up with a list of daily priorities, things you want to be sure you do every day (i.e. time in the Word, pick the toys up, wash the dishes, or whatever). And then you may have to do the other things on a less-frequent basis but still have a plan for getting them done. Maybe all your chores will be bi-weekly or monthly. You can figure out what works best for your family.
With regard to how things work out during the day, I generally do the dishes and the load of laundry while the boys are playing in the morning. If I need to start another chore, I put them in their beds for quiet reading time. (Ladan is actually old enough now that he usually can stay out of the way or even help me with most things, but when he was Georgia's age, he went into his bed or at least his room with the door closed when I needed him occupied.)
After the morning activities, we eat lunch all together. Then Gabe goes down right away after lunch. Three days a week, I do Ladan's lesson with him at this time and then he goes down for his nap. The other days of the week, he goes down right after Gabe.
When they're both down, I get in the Word first thing. I know it's not right away in the morning, but this is the most peaceful time of the day, so it turns out to be better time in the Word for me, and I get a lot out of it.
Then I tend to do my bigger chore for the day after my time in the Word. Then exercise if there's still time before I need to start getting dinner ready. Since our meals are planned, I never have to waste time wondering what I'm fixing, so I can just jump straight to preparing it.
Then I tend to fit anything else in either after dinner or after the boys are in bed.
Now, with an infant, your schedule looks a bit different than mine. You might decide to let Georgia have quiet time in her room during Henry's morning nap while you spend time with the Lord. Then you can reserve his afternoon nap for chore time or whatever else is a priority to you.
I think the key is having a plan and always keeping in mind that we'll never feel more like mopping the floor than we do right now... and at the same time recognizing that mopping the floor is not the most important thing on the planet if there's something urgent that comes up. If it gets put off, just make sure that it's not rescheduled for so much later that it becomes a huge chore to get it done.
Concentrating my grocery shopping into one large trip every two weeks and then one small trip in between is SO HELPFUL and saves ridiculous amounts of time and gas.
Most importantly, I want to remind you that there are as many godly ways to clean house as there are houses to clean... every home will look a little bit different because the people in it are a little bit different. However, there are some general ideas that can be a helpful springboard for figuring out a system that will work for you.
Maybe you have different issues than what I've addressed here, so if you ever want to talk more about the specific details of your home, please let me know. I feel like there are so many great ideas about how to get things done, but very few of them take into account the fact that we have little ones to care for... and specifically, how we can arrange things to allow for all of it to happen (and maybe even allow for excluding some things for a time when they can't happen). Anyway, you know where to find me if you want to chat.
On a totally unrelated note, I LOVE seeing the photos on your blog! Do you guys use Photoshop CS, Lightroom, a combination, or something completely different for your editing?
Thanks! That was really helpful! I love hearing about what others are doing because I didn't really have a model so in many ways I am learning as I go! So thanks for the glimpse! And yes we use lightroom mostly but we also have photoshop. Jeff is a photographer on the side with the hopes of making it a business for us! It is a huge hobby that the Lord has been incredibly faithful with!
Phyllis, thanks so much for pointing me to this. I LOVE your system--may be adapting it. Very well thought-out and balanced. You are one wise woman!
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