Creating An Autumn Rhythm {four steps to a cleaning schedule}

September requires a new rhythm.  After the carefree days of summer, September brings about a need for more structured mornings, menus, and time management.  I have spent too much  quite some time evaluating what I need to do differently for the fall season to maintain the house while being more on the go.  These four steps may help you find your rhythm too.

1. WRITE OUT THE SCHEDULE

Start by plotting out the obligations for each day of the week.  Being very visual, I like to plug these things into a chart.  


My weekly obligations include:
Weekend Mass
School Mass
Soccer practices
Soccer games
Exercise classes
Groceries
Errands


Here are some printables I used to help me write all this out.  

momAgenda Weekly Planner

Organizher Weekly Planner

2.  WRITE OUT A LIST OF WEEKLY CHORES
Write down everything you think needs cleaning each week.  Now go through and cut some chores out! For example, I no longer have mopping on my weekly cleaning schedule.  It just never gets done and I am always feeling guilty about it.  Instead, I pencil it in on one day a month and feel great when I accomplish that task.  I have certain tasks I leave for once a month or even once a season to clean.  Here is a list of those kinds of jobs. 


Also, think of ways you can delegate some of your chores to your children which will allow you a chance to get around to the more detailed cleaning jobs.  This fall I am offering allowance to my "cleaning laddies" at $2.00 a job to take the vacuuming and dusting off my mind.  We'll see if they take the opportunity to earn some spending cash.


I organize my weekly chore list very simply:
Laundry
Ironing
Bedding
Scour Bathrooms
Scour Kitchen
Dust/Windows
Vacuum
Mop
Yard work/Houseplants
Meal planning
Schedule planning
Correspondence (a time for making appointments and dealing with paperwork/bills/mail)


Everything else goes on the more detailed monthly or seasonal lists such as:
Self-clean oven
Baseboards
Light fixtures
Moving furniture to vacuum
Flipping mattresses etc...



Here are some printable lists to get you thinking about chores.

Martha Stewart's 6 Things  To Do Everyday

Martha Stewart's Weekly Cleaning Checklist

3.  GET CREATIVE
Now jot out a list of the creative/personal pursuits that you wish you had time for each week but rarely get around to doing.  Write it all down.  Leave nothing out.  These are the things you are most passionate about and also the things you probably put at the bottom of your to do list.  Even if you only pick one item from this list to put on your weekly calendar you will feel more fulfilled.


My creative outlets include:
Bible study
Blogging
Reading blogs
Reading magazines
Reading books
Journaling (I am dabbling in art journaling)
Crafting (learning to draw, paint, sew, knit)
Baking (learning new techniques)
Cooking (new recipes from my many cookbooks)


These charts may get you brainstorming:
Mind Map
Time Management Quadrants

4.  COMBINE BOTH LISTS
Print out this sheet and in each column write: Obligations, Chores, Creative, Other, Menu.
Now look over all the lists above and begin by writing in the obligations (mass, soccer etc...).  Once you have those in place, carefully place your chores and creative pursuits on days where you will have a real chance of getting them done.  Nothing is more defeating than never crossing an item off your list. Be realistic.  If you don't know where to put something, use the Other column.  Maybe you will find you can re-name it Exercise or some other term that fits better for you.  For now, leave the menu section blank.  That will come in a different post.


After you have it all written out, I highly recommend this app for your iPhone.  You can plug all of these items in and even sync it to your computer.  I has made a huge difference in my staying organized and on top of all my lists.  It's my favorite app! 
  
I hope you'll  find this helpful.   Please let me know!


In the future I'll post some of my meal planning ideas.






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