We have arrived at week #8 of 8 in our series on Grace in Productivity.
And I’ll be the first to admit that [wipes brow] being productive can be exhausting!
Hopefully we’ve woven enough grace into this series to help you recognize that there is a place for productivity and a place for shutting it all down and walking away (temporarily, of course – that laundry isn’t going to fold itself!).
How to approach your projects
Specifically, we’re talking about recurring projects. These are the bigger tasks that pop up every year around the same time.
To make life easier, we did something super cool (just ask me).
In The MotherShip Method, Amanda and I went month by month and considered all of the projects that we tend to do on an annual basis and added them to our system. On the first of each month, a notification pops up that contains a list of projects to tackle over the course of the given month.
Let’s look at an example. Here we are in October, right? Below is a list of things on this month’s list. Oh, and do note, you could surely add a bunch more. It’s meant to be a starting point. Since the app is designed to be flexible and customizable, you will edit this list as you see fit!
Here’s our list for October:
- Clean out closets
- Transfer clothes to siblings
- Toss what can’t be donated
- Donate what can be donated
- Take inventory on what needs to be replaced (bigger sizes for kids, etc.)
- Swap out seasonal clothes, shoes and accessories. Consider moving them out of the room if space is a concern.
- Store patio furniture.
- Schedule outdoor clean up (rake leaves, trim back plants, etc.)
- Check/change furnace filter
- Plan for Halloween (if you participate): buy treats and costumes, make trick-or-treating plans
- Start planning for the upcoming holidays (Will you travel? Will you host?)
This list makes sense in October in Michigan because we’re embarking on a major season change. (Curse you winter!!)
Alas, it cannot be avoided, and so it’s simply time. Yet, some of us let these tasks sneak up on us – year after year!
Friends, fall is not but an ode to all things pumpkin spice, it is a warning that winter is basically upon us.
I mean, how annoying is it when we get an early snow and the stinking outdoor cushions are still outside? (Asking for a friend.)
And how GOOD does it feel to get those closets turned over before we are desperately digging the hats and gloves out of storage?
Needless to say, having a notification pop-up with a list of projects for the month is incredibly helpful!
And full transparency, sometimes I don’t cross everything off the list and that’s okay.
It’s an ongoing journey…
I’m getting better at knowing my limits and setting realistic expectations.
Leaning into grace has taught me to appreciate productivity in a whole new light. Furthermore, not measuring myself by what I fail to accomplish has opened the door to greater peace of mind.
Read on to check out this week’s expert resources…
Among the 8 fabulous episodes Amanda compiled for this week’s Podcast Playlist, you’ll find an episode called The Secret to Planning Home Projects Without Wanting to Kill Your Spouse and really, isn’t that half the battle?
Finally, our Smart Reads for this week cover those October projects mentioned above along with an article on planning home projects with your partner.
Access all 15 of this week’s recommended resources for moms in THE LIST 👇🏽
THE LIST
15 Expert Resources for Moms – updated weekly! 6 skimmable articles that offer perspective on this week’s topic, 8 informative and entertaining podcast episodes to make the chores fly by, and 1 insightful video to inspire you to move forward with grace.
📖 6 Skimmable Articles…
This week’s topic: Recurring Projects
🧗🏽♀️ Is your spouse supportive of your home projects? Use these tips to get on the same page…
“It’s important to understand your spouse so that you can plan home projects together.”
Read Plan home projects with your spouse by Twill at Created by a Gemini
🏡 Have you scheduled your fall clean-up?
“You deep cleaned the inside of your home during the spring clean, and now it’s time for your outdoor fall clean-up. Your lawn and garden need a little TLC right now if you want them to look their best next year. So, what steps do you need to take to ensure that your yard clean up is complete? Use this checklist to make sure you’ve done everything you need to do.”
Read Fall Clean-Up Checklist: 13 Steps To Prep Your Yard from Earth Development
👨👩👧👦 Are you ready for Halloween?
“Get in the Halloween spirit with these easy costume ideas for men, women, couples, babies, and more! Plus, explore our favorite spooky party themes, pumpkin carving tips, and Halloween desserts.”
Read Halloween 2021: Costumes, Food, Decor! from Good Housekeeping
🗂 It’s time to flip your closet again!
“Transitioning from summer wear to autumn clothes or winter season wear can be a snap when you go into it with an effective strategy. Here are a few tips for storing out of season clothes and keeping your wardrobe fresh and seasonally appropriate all year long.”
Read 16 Changing Seasons Clothing Tips: How to Store Clothes and Switch Out Wardrobes from Price Self Storage
🎗 Do you have a plan to store your outdoor furniture?
“Follow these instructions and there won’t be much to do next year, other than set out your furniture and keep after the kids to take good care of your stuff—just like you do.”
Read How to Properly Store and Maintain Outdoor Furniture by Michael Chotiner
🥗 It’s time to change your furnace filter!
“When’s the last time you changed your furnace filter? Oh, c’mon. We won’t tell anyone. Six months ago? A year? Not since you moved into the house?”
Read How Often Should You Change Your Furnace Filter? by Lauren Leazenby
🎧 8 Entertaining Podcast Episodes…
This week’s Grace in the Race Podcast Playlist
📰 “A foolproof system for keeping track of home projects”
“We have a secret to planning our home projects and staying on track without killing each other in the process. We are able to plan an entire year’s worth of projects with (almost) no fuss or disagreements.”
Listen to Colorful Conversations: DIY & Home Design | The Secret to Planning Home Projects Without Wanting to Kill Your Spouse (33 min)
👸🏻 Holding on to the Past
“Throughout high school, Brandon was a misfit. Then one day, out of the blue, one of the school’s prettiest, most popular girls asked him to prom. Fifteen years later, Brandon wants to know: why him?
Listen to Heavyweight | Brandon (32 min)
💡 “Breaking news!”
“Sources say American journalism exploits our negativity bias to maximize profits, and social media algorithms add fuel to the fire. Stephen Dubner investigates.
Listen to Freakonomics Radio | Why Is U.S. Media So Negative? (47 min)
🤰🏻 “Will we ever ask for directions and then listen to the answer? Probably not.”
“This week we’re talking about all the little things that trip us up, confuse us daily, and that we will never, no matter how much we try, get right.”
Listen to What Fresh Hell | It’s The Little Things (46 min)
😎 “It was hard to know who to trust”
“When Beverley Schottenstein’s husband Alvin died, she and her children sold their stake in his family’s business, worth an estimated 90 million dollars. Family relationships got complicated. And what happened next surprised everyone.”
Listen to Criminal | Family Money (36 min)
🧗 “The importance of framing the issue”
“Mom writes in from the deep South with concerns about whether to allow her daughter to socialize with a good friend who is unvaccinated. Reena asks how parents can weigh the mental health risks of not being socially active against the possibility of catching Covid.”
👨👩👧👦 “If you want to solve the mysteries of the universe, you’re going to have to learn to focus.”
“You dream of traveling through space and exploring the vast reaches of the solar system. Because in space, you don’t have to explain yourself. You get to explore the questions you want to ask.”
Listen with your kids to Imagined Life | The Genius (29 min)
⏭ “Telephones alter our society”
“Alexander Graham Bell wouldn’t recognize the telephone today. Our phones allow us to keep the internet in our pockets and offer an endless stream of information and entertainment.”
Listen with us to American Innovations | Our Distracted Minds | 3 (33 min)
🎬 This week’s Insightful Video…
What is your home saying about you?
“Our homes are unique expressions of ourselves. Where we live can help us thrive or keep us down. Learning to create our homes to help us thrive can make all the difference in our success.”
Watch The Power of an Authentic Home | Kimberly Bost | TEDxHickory (12:36)
That’s THE LIST for this week!
We hope THE LIST inspires you to get your ship together and get through your week with grace!
Do you have any go-to tips on this week’s topic … or a take away from The List this week? Leave a reply in the comments.
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Targets: Aim for Progress, Not Perfection