MotherShip: The March Yearly Mission

A review of Yearly Missions

In MotherShip: Yearly Missions we provide a helicopter view of how to tackle the tasks that consistently pop up on a yearly basis. They are often driven by the calendar and hence not a surprise, yet, year after year, we aren’t prepared when it’s time to address them. 

Here’s an example.

Amanda offers an example of her annual mulch purchase. Inevitably, every spring, she and her husband walk through the same discussion trying to recall from last year how much mulch they used, what type gave the best coverage, what color it was, etc. 

They would do this EVERY year! And granted, it only takes minutes to hash it out, yet, these little unknowns can stop us in our tracks and slow the progress of the project. 

For example, instead of a note popping up on your to-do list to remind you on May 1st to order 7 cu. yards of cocoa brown, cedar mulch, with a link to the mulch store, you jot down on your list: ask [partner] how much mulch we ordered last year.

Let’s be honest.

From there, you’re at the mercy of when the stars will align and the two of you will be in the same room at the same time AND that you’ll actually remember to have a conversation about mulch. Let’s be honest, it’s not likely to be high on your priority list in the midst of your daily chaos.

Fear not, we have a solution! 

In the MotherShip app you can customize annual tasks by adding notes, reminders, links, due dates and notifications to keep your projects on point. You no longer have to struggle to remember what you did last year… even though you swear you’ll remember… we all know how that goes! 

The app comes pre-programmed with a list of annual tasks for each month. Again, this list is fully customizable so you’ll edit it as necessary to accommodate your needs.

The March Mission

In March, we take a deep dive into paper clutter. This is a timely task because it preps us for tax season. Preparing our taxes is a perfect example of a task that we do every year. Yet every year many of us inevitably scramble to collect forms, receipts, statements, etc. at the eleventh hour to meet the tax deadline. Get ahead of it with MotherShip!

On March 1st, your Yearly Mission will pop up reminding you that it’s time to tackle that file cabinet. We know not everyone uses a formal filing system/cabinet so the true mission here is to take control of your paper clutter.

Here are a some examples from the app:

Organize Paper Clutter. Gather documents and sort into the following categories:

• Important Papers (birth certificates, legal documents, etc)
• Tax-time papers (donation receipts, W-2s, etc.)
• Quick access files (physicals, test results, letters of recommendation, etc.)
• Sentimental Items (letters, cards, special school awards, etc)

Then, take the following action with each one:

• Shred/Discard anything you don’t need anymore, bills over 7 years, etc.
• Scan anything can be scanned and stored digitally
• Label everything clearly
• Keep items handy if you need quick access to them
• Store items away that you don’t need quick access to (binders, bins, file cabinet)

Prepare for Tax Season

• Employment: confirm receipt of all employment records (W-2’s, etc)
• Childcare: gather child care receipts from the past year and the provider’s Tax ID
• Contributions:  Organize both paper receipts and electronic donations
• Receipts: gather relevant receipts
• Filing: Schedule an appointment with your tax preparer or purchase software
• Stay up to date on news from IRS for other potential deductions
• Post-Filing: Keep your records handy for 3 years

Get on board!

Yearly Missions will (probably) get done with or without MotherShip. But why struggle with them month after month, year after year? Take the stress and guesswork out of it and use MotherShip to work smarter, not harder. 

MotherShip bridges the gap between knowing what you should be doing to tackle your mom-list and taking that first step. It propels you into motion with daily reminders so that you can stay ahead of your to-do list and get your ship together!

For access to all of the the MotherShip: Yearly Missions, get the app!

If you could benefit from a system that gives you peace of mind, get the MotherShip app and get your ship together!