I started to list them in my head and it's surprising the sort of number you get to. Some are daily, others weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, six monthly, annual and so on.
Then I started to write them down on a pad, what started to emerge from the pattern of tasks was that they could be grouped together and may be slotted in to my daily routines in a much better way.
I left the list for a few days and started to add to it as I thought of things, it is surprising how big the list is!
If you are creating a similar list, you can make the task list a 'master list' and then transfer the tasks to your planner on a weekly or monthly basis.
One thing you must all include though is to check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on a regular basis and replace them before the date on the back or inside. See this post for further explanation.
So what routine tasks do you put in your organiser?
I write many routine tasks into my filofax but some are so routine that I tend to just do them automatically and don't bother writing them down. I do have a master list of tasks I like to complete at work every week and another of monthly tasks. I refer to these lists weekly and assign out the tasks to various days. I'm thinking of reformatting these lists into a checklist format with columns for each week so I can just refer to the list a few times per week and tick off the completed items.
ReplyDeleteI have a whole binder dedicated to routines, basically. A home binder- Balmoral A5.
ReplyDeleteI have morning routines, afternoon r´s and evening routines penned. I have a weekly checklist, I have every area of apt. divided to zones and there are detailed cleaning routines to them.
Alongside runs a meal planning, upon which I base the grocery shopping list.
I also have different daily routines to every week- day and those are on the binder as well.
These pages are all slided inside of plastic pockets because these pages get flipped through constantly.
I have another binder to my son´s needs- Malden A5.
There is his medications, diagnosis and his routines penned up. There is a calendar to which we write some daily activities. Every time a nurse comes to him, there is all of his information written down. Also, if emergency happens and he´s with a carer- she can easily snatch the binder with her to the ER and everything will be written down there ( he has medical conditions which require daily measuring, poking and puffing ).
Basically, his life is constructed by several routines that keep him safe and alive, and all are written down in his own Malden.
Most of my daily stuff is automatic. The only thing that isn't daily is changing my sheets and towels, and that just gets written at the top of the day.
ReplyDeleteSteve thank you for this post! This is something I've been trying to figure out, how to keep track of routine tasks.
ReplyDeleteCassandra did a great post not long ago on my blog about how she tracks weekly and daily tasks in her Franklin Covey, I like how she wrote them all down once for the week and checks them off each day. Here is that post for reference:
http://www.plannerisms.com/2013/02/cassandras-franklin-covey-monarch-size.html
I'm thinking of doing something similar in my Success Choice binder that is on its way to me from Josh. :)
Yes! I have to do this because when I get busy, distracted, or hyper-focused somewhere else things get forgotten. My kids can also see what needs done and pitch in as well. I do have monthly/yearly/quarterly items in there as well. Yearly/quarterly items tend to go on my master task list on the back of my monthly calendar, i.e. magazine subscription, license plates, school subjects, etc. Monthly items tend to be more date specific because I have a bad habit of procrastination and before I know it the month is gone and I haven't done the task. I try to spread them out onto different dates, leaving some days in between so that if something happens I don't get back logged. Examples are: vacuum furnace filter, change water filter, send in reports, etc. like Josh, somethings are very, very routine, but when mommy gets tired, sick, stressed, crazy busy, (or whatever) things fall through the cracks which causes more stress and craziness. So it's all written down--no stickies/post-it's they get lost or they get moved along without thinking. Moved without thinking is a huge procrastination technique! If it is written in ink you can see how many days you have been putting something off and like the turbo tracker see how many days it takes you to finally say enough and get it taken care of. If something is forgotten my husband always asks if I lost my book or if its important he'll tell me to get my book and he'll watch me as I write it in. The kids and I have "weekly planning" sessions on Monday mornings and each person is to announce changes and new appointments/tasks that need added. Sorry that got off topic!
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ReplyDeleteI too use the Success Choice binder and inserts. I just starting using them and I am finding that it makes me more organized and accountable. It has lots of options for tasks and lists. I am waiting for an A5 Malden from Lady Filo and I hope to try the Success Choice inserts in there.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if anyone is looking for a KW-triO 9170 hole punch in the US. Time Systems sells them for $24.99 http://www.timesystem.us/ I just received mine the other day and its very nice.
Thank you,
Vicki
Is this compatible with the filofax A5?
DeleteYes the KW Trio does A5, Personal, Pocket and of course Mini... as well as Mulberry.
DeleteBe aware though that because it does A5 the hole size is 5mm which is slightly bigger than say the rings on Pocket. But I've not had any issues with this.
Great, thanks Steve!! Sounds like it's a worthwhile investment :)
DeleteI think I only start adding routine tasks if I feel things are getting a bit out of control. I can imagine it would help if we had a larger household & kids, but it's just me, my husband & the cat :)
ReplyDeleteI have to physically write a note to check the mail at work every day, otherwise I will completely forget (in my defense, it is 8 floors away)...
ReplyDeleteI also use removable flags/ Martha Stewart tear drop stickers for weekly and monthly reminders, i.e. garbage day, credit card due, and a reminder to purchase my monthly train ticket. Makes it much easier to move them from week to week or month to month!
Yes - I track my daily, weekly, monthly routines / chores, blogging details, webmastering, & work schedule. I have to see it to do it...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely have to write routine tasks. My attention span is tiny. It's not that I don't remember, it's that by the time I get to it, I forgot what I was doing. So I write all of it down. It helps me keep my ducks in a row.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to my article about smoke detectors, Steve. I always knew you had to change the batteries but I never knew they expired until I wrote that article.
ReplyDeleteI have been using a computer template to track household chores. The template is a 4 week schedule, and it automatically inputs each day of the month at the top. On the left are your household chores. When you complete a task, you type an x in the correct box. If you don't like to write your chores each day or week in a planner or you don't want to use removable sticky flags, then you might like this template. You can download, open, and use it if you have Excel. You can add extra rows (chores) and extra columns. There is an Owner column so you can assign chores to members of your family. After each month you can print it on 8 1/2" by 11" paper. You can save it, rename it, and make changes on it for tracking rent payments, inventory, etc. The link for the template is: http://www.moneycrashers.com/weekly-house-cleaning-schedule-template-checklist-chart-printable/
ReplyDeleteYou can also access it by typing moneycrashers.com in a search engine. Then click on Weekly House Cleaning. Then scroll down to How to Use My House Cleaning Schedule Template. There is a description on it by Casey Slide.
Thanks for posting - this is so clever!!! Did you read the first comment? How cute!! I think I'm going to try that with my kids! : )
DeleteYou're welcome. I have been using this template since last year, and I like not having to write the tasks or the dates. I read the first comment. It sounds like a fun and creative way to get the chores done.
DeleteNan had a good post on this back in 2008, called "Behind the Routines Tab".
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gerard :)
DeleteYou can read Nan's post here:
Behind the Routines Tab
Years ago I found this: http://www.motivatedmoms.com/product/2013-motivated-moms-chore-planner/ I print it on yellow card stock, cut it a little slimmer than A5, but then punch the holes lower down the page so that the top of the page sticks up over the other pages and becomes my dayfinder. (Does that make sense?) I like the width of my dayfinder more than the skinny black Filo ruler that comes with the organizers.
ReplyDeleteThis chore planner makes sense to me - alot of it is repetitive tasks during the week but there are also reminders in there to check smoke alarm batteries, update photo books, clean hairbrushes/combs, cleaning the computer screens, etc. There is a list on the left for daily chores and a list on the right for rotating chores and OH!! so many little boxes to check off once the task is complete!! LOL
There is also an app for it for iPhone, so if I'm on the 2nd or 3rd floor doing my work, I can take a peek at my phone for my chore list for that day - my (full!) A5 Malden stays on her throne in the kitchen.
It's just enough for me - I have a pretty good habit of keeping myself busy around the house, even if it's not 'on my list'. I've made more time for myself and my sewing work by committing to doing ONLY my 'Dailies'. And Mama needs her quiet time or else she can get a bit grumpy... ; )
And it's $8 a year!!
This sounds a fantastic idea, just one question, do you print off and stick onto card each weeks new page? I am assuming that you use the week to a page version!
DeleteThanks, Jo
I print the year at once getting 2 weeks per 1 page of cardstock, cut them in really skinny halves (so they're not quite the size of the A5 page), punch the holes, and cut the holes open to make them pop in and out more easily (do you know that trick?). This way, I can move my week of Dailies from day to day (I'm using day-per-page) without opening the rings on Malden. I only keep the current week in the book as my pagefinder - the rest are clipped in big clip and stuck in the drawer until it's their turn.
DeleteI should photograph this...sometimes my words get a bit jumbled! ; ) Hope this makes sense!
Makes perfect sense, thanks so much, would give that a try, but since this evening I am torn between my a5 domino and my pocket chameleon:-[
DeleteOh, boy! Good luck with that decision! : )
DeleteI make a to-do list every day for the next day in my Cuban and I always list routine, even if it's just 'buy bread'. Besides focusing on doing instead of remembering, I genuinely love ticking things off my list, it's such a sense of accomplisment :D
ReplyDelete