Califoregon Living

I have tried many chore management systems over the years. Systems from books, Flylady, and other online options.  While they were all helpful for a while, none of them ever stuck. Until now.

About six years ago, I learned about ‘Motivated Moms’, a checklist chore management system.  I have used it sporadically over these six years, and consistently for about the past three.  You can see an example of a week at their site.

For our household, the  daily items are our morning routine. The boys help me with these. Then, throughout the day as an opportunity presents itself, I will take one one of the designated items for that day.  If I don’t get to it that day, I save it for Saturday.  I also have the added blessing of a housekeeper for three hours a week.

As we go into the New Year, I wanted to share this with you in case this was an area that can use some direction. The best system is the one that works for you.  This works for me.

I just read a great tip that I will implement immediately:

When a pile of papers stack up, typically the items on the bottom are no longer action items or relevant.

So…

take the stack of papers, flip it over, and start there.  You can get through the pile with more momentum than the other way.

This is something our family did a few years back, but we have fallen away from it.  I would love to bring it back.  We called it,

FAMILY NIGHT

One night a week, Monday night, we set aside an evening for our family.  The agenda looked like this:

Dinner

Open in Prayer

Worship – One song

Family Devotional

Family Reports

Daddy

• discuss upcoming week schedule
• family vision and goals
• ministry report

Mama

• discuss upcoming week schedule
• finance report
• household management report
• ministry report
• homeschool report

Boys

• each report their activities for the week
• each report what is going on in homeschool

Close in Prayer

Spend the rest of the evening watching a movie together, playing a board game, or going out for dessert.

I just ran across these notes from a talk I attended years ago.  I feel bad that I did not write the name of the speaker to give her the credit.  There are some great points I want to pass on…

THOUGHTS BECOME ACTIONS.  CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.

Procrastination Stoppers

1. 80/20 Rule.  An italian economist in 1895 surmised that we spend 20% = vital few/80% = trivial many
   1. Invest 20% of your time that makes 80% of your income
   2. Tackle the 20% “vital few” first: (mine are: Quiet time, homeschool, home management)
   3. You need to sit at the feet of Jesus if you are going to minister to your children.
   4. Commit to only doing the vital few everyday.  The others come as time allows.
   5. The bigger the project, the bigger the reward.
   6. Make a list of your 20/80
   7. Create a sub-list for the “vital few”.  (Ex. my 20% for homeschool would be: Bible, math, language arts)
2. Singularity- just do the next thing.  Don’t think of the whole project; just think of the next thing.  (How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time…)
3. Talent -Natural or Learned: If you are really good at one think, but do another, you are not utilizing the gifts God gave you to the best.  What can you do that will most bless your family?
4. Protect your Assets-
   1. Take care of yourself.  Take care of your children.  It might cost you more initially, but look at the long run.
   2. Know your peak and pace.  Take it slow and steady.
   3. Intercede for your family.  Instruct them, involve them, teach them.
5. Silence- This is when God speaks to you.  Take time to disconnect from cell phones, computers, children, etc.
   1. Technology is your servant; not your master.
6. Slice it Thin – Do a little at a time.  Break it into small projects.
   1. Don’t just “clean the living room”
      1. Fold blankets
      2. put away toys
      3. dust
      4. vacuum
7. Time- Create chunks of time.
   1. Do the same thing everyday for an allotted amount of time.
   2. Compartmentalize.
   3. Plan out your time (Do all your calls at the same time.)

Place items on a whiteboard or notebook:

1. collect the thoughts -action items get a checkbox
2. if the action item is 2 minutes or less- do it now!
3. if it is a project – break it down into steps and move ahead one step at a time.
4. code something if you are waiting for a response, so you don’t have to read it over and over.

I had a friend call me and ask for help in getting her house in order.  We spent some time going over a few items.

The first item we talked about was capturing a vision of what they wanted their house to look and feel like.  We wrote down what they were committed to as a family and how the house played a role in that commitment.  I find that if I take the time to write it down, it is more likely to stick.

Then, we walked through the outside and the inside of the house and defined each space.  We wrote down what each space was to be used for.

Then, within each space, we created, and wrote down, the zones of activity and/or storage for each space.

Now that each room has been defined, and each room has zones for activity and/or storage, we moved on to the management of stuff…

We worked on one room at a time.  In that room, pick up an item as ask the following questions:

1. Does this item serve me?
   1. If yes, ask: Is this item in the appropriate place? If it’s not in the appropriate place, move it to the appropriate place.
   2. If no, then toss, donate, or return the item.  If you are having an issue doing this, ask yourself what it the emotional tie to this item, and get clear as to why you are struggling.  It could be just that you are getting overwhelmed by the process.  Take  a break and come back later.

We talked about how the more we have, the more we have to manage.  There is a line that is crossed from items serving us and us serving items.

We talked about how there is a freedom in not having to manage stuff.  And that “white space” is soothing and energizing at the same time.

Lastly, we talked about creating a daily home management routine that will help her maintain an efficient home.

This is a great idea for organizing schoolwork…

Organizing Schoolwork

I am a bit more extreme than the woman on the video. I don’t save school work, and for special art pieces, aside from a few jewels that I have saved, I take a picture and post to the blog, then toss or send to a grandparent.

I know there is a wide variety of what you are comfortable with. Some moms like to save everything. I guess I look at what was saved from my childhood…maybe two or three items, and I really don’t care if I have them or not.  For me, it’s the memories, and recording those memories, that are most important.