Does anyone do a weekly review, GTD-style?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

To be clear, by weekly review, I mean setting aside a time each week to review things like bills, bank accounts, email folders, etc. It's based on David Allen's Getting Things Done philosophy (or maybe it was around before him, but I think he made it famous.)

 

If you do, would you share what's on your list? I'm trying to create a good trigger list, but just about everything I'm seeing online is business/work-related, and I'm looking for ideas and prompts from a homeschooling mom/homemaker perspective. I've come up with the big ones (for me) on my own, but I'm sure I'm forgetting a million things.

 

Thank you!

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Here is a trigger list for moms and dads: http://gettingthingsdone.com/2010/11/a-trigger-list-for-moms-and-dads/  I keep this in my weekly review folder to help me do a "brain dump" each week of any nagging things that didn't make it onto paper yet. 

 

Basically, I follow the instructions from my M.O.M. program, which is a GTD based organization system for moms. 

 

Throughout the week, anything that is not immediately important gets dumped in my inbox.  On my weekly review day, I...

 

- go through the house and check for any loose papers, and add to inbox.

 

- Get out my calendar, action lists, and other components of my MOM system, as well as a pen and sticky notes or a notepad. 

- I go through the inbox.  I do not follow the rule of dealing with the top piece first completely, and so on, because I know the sorts of things that usually end up in my inbox and I prefer to group like items and batch process.  All my "special drawings" go in a pile, get hole-punched, and added to my "Special drawings for mommy" binder.  All school work goes in a pile, then gets filed where it belongs in one shot.  All recipes go either into my "to try" binder, or go into my computer work because we like them and I need to add them to my "Keepers" recipe file.  (I hope to move recipes to an entirely online format SOON!!!).  All bills/family paperwork is either put in the to pay folder, or filed as done, or the action necessary is added to my action list and the paper then put in my holding folder until the action is taken, then it's filed.  All notes and printouts, etc, that are related to homeschooling ideas and thoughts and planning possibilities go into an accordion file which has a section for each subject and a section for overall planning. 

 

- As I go through things, I add to my calander and actions.  I then usually have a clean inbox and maybe 10 2-3 minute actions that need to be done.  I do those all at once and cross them all off my action lists.  Everything else is pretty much support material for various projects, and goes into the areas I have set aside for those projects.  the MOM system has a cubby system for support materials, but I am still trying to decide if I have the space for that or not.  In the mean time, my file folders and accordion folders are doing ok. 

 

- I flip through my tickler to see if anything needs to be thrown out or moved and to remind myself of the contents for the month. 

 

- I flip through my journal to see if there are any ideas or inspirations that I'd like to now implement and move to an action list. 

 

- I flip through my current projects list and make sure I have actions planned for all the projects that I want to move forward.

 

- I flip through my "someday" projects to see if any should become current.

 

- I move my weekly chore card forward to the next week in my calendar. 

 

- Double check my email folders.  I usually keep up with email well, so the action folders are under control.  I just take a quick look at the waiting folder, etc, to see if anything can be archived or now needs action. 

 

- I use a trigger list like the one I posted above to see if I need to dump anything from my brain.

 

 

 

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

That was so helpful! I think I managed to actually capture the majority of the same things you do in my checklist, but that trigger list for moms and dads is exactly what I needed. Thank you!

[Guest]

Wow, Monica! Good information!

 

Can you explain what a weekly chore card is?

 

Would you recommend the M.O.M program?

 

Can you explain your physical set-up a bit; I'm in the process of setting up a desk for myself but I'm not 100% sure how I want it yet.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Moxie, I signed up for the MOM program, and I didn't find it super helpful. It just wasn't exactly what I needed--it seemed to focus more on paperwork, which I don't have a lot of. I needed more help organizing my time and brain. I've found Mystie Winckler's resources to be more valuable (and she's an active WTMer, so she knows what we're dealing with here). 

 

You could start here:

 

http://www.simplyconvivial.com/2012/gtd-for-homemakers

 

I'm going through it right now adding to my system (using MS OneNote as my proxy brain :lol:). She also has a paid program that I'm strongly considering, although money is extremely tight right now. I'm seeing what I can do on my own, and then if I still feel like I need more handholding, I'll think more about the extra program.

 

http://www.simplifiedorganization.com/get-organized/

 

There's a 20% off code--I think it's "lovely," but I'll see if I can track it down to be sure.

 

ETA: The code is "lovelylife," from the writer of Amongst Lovely Things. If you decide to do the course, Sarah's most recent newsletter says this:

 

If you are going to take the course, come back here every Saturday in January, because we are going to talk about it here as we go along.  (Trust me when I say I NEED to get organized.)

And don’t forget that the coupon code “lovelylife†will give you 20% either the whole course, or each module one at a time.

Sorry for writing a book, I just happen to be deep in the process right now, so it's very much on my mind!

 

Oh, and I forgot to say that I do have a physical setup and find it helpful. In my kitchen I have a tiny little cubby where the microwave used to live. There's a hard magazine file from Marshalls that holds my garden notebook and the occasional catalog and my coupon/menu binder. Next to that I have these (Martha Stewart modular pieces from Staples, you can buy different parts according to what you need):

 

A stackable inbox on the bottom, where mail and papers live temporarily, and on top is this organizer piece. In the back, rather than tickler folders, which just didn't help me, I have 12-13 folders that are labeled with our most commonly used filing categories (e.g., Warranties and Receipts, 2014 Taxes, Medical, etc.). Our main filing cabinet is downstairs, so when I go through the mail, I can quickly sort the "keep" paperwork into the right sections and then just move them downstairs in chunks when I'm ready. It also holds pens, pencils, my stapler, and my paychecks (they get deposited by phone, so I keep them until they clear the account and for a few months afterward so I know when the checks were written (sometimes my boss gets off track).

 

My shredder is right below this space so I don't have an excuse for shreddable stuff to build up. Next to the organizer is an empty space which mostly holds chargers and wires, since that's the part of the kitchen where the electronics live too. 

 

I've gotten off track from using this system because it's an area where random things tend to build up (our kitchen is small and tight), but when I keep the corner clean and use the system like I'm supposed to, it works really well for us. DH wants a microwave again, but honestly, my work corner is more important!

 

[happypamama]

I am planning to do something like this year. I'm setting aside one night a week, the night before our weekly day out (a long day of class for the kids and errands), with the intention that DH will handle the whole evening routine, except for nursing the baby to sleep. (DH goes out regularly once a week, plus a couple of other times a month, and I only go out a couple of random times a month, so it's a reasonable expectation, and he's agreed to it.)

 

This is what I will plan on doing in that time:

Pay bills and handle online paperwork

Write out checks, bills, etc. that can't be done online, and prepare for mailing

Update Quicken with expenditures

Write any thank you notes that need to be written

Catch up on emails that need replies

Make list of To Call during business hours (doctor, mechanic, etc.)

 

Renew prescriptions as needed (monthly)

Check on upcoming activities and appointments and such for the coming week

Prepare menu plans and grocery list with upcoming week in mind

Pack lunch for eating in the car the next day; possibly prepare breakfast and dinner for next day as well.

Pack diaper bag for next day

Renew library books and pack as needed

Check list of things needed from WalMart (monthly trip) and order or add to lists as needed

 

Catch up on any schoolwork I haven't checked

File completed schoolwork

Look over work for the next week or so, and print anything that is needed

Request library books for two weeks from the day, so they have time to arrive

 

Wow, this was just the thread I needed to think about this stuff! I'm going to transfer it to OneNote and add to it as needed.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Wow, Monica! Good information!

 

Can you explain what a weekly chore card is?

 

Would you recommend the M.O.M program?

 

Can you explain your physical set-up a bit; I'm in the process of setting up a desk for myself but I'm not 100% sure how I want it yet.

 

Here's my deal with chores:  I hate working off of a list.  Inevitably, the day that my chore list says to vaccuum the hall, some child will spill a cup of orange juice on the dining room floor.  So now I have to ask- do I vaccuum the hall AND mop the dining room?  Do I just mop?  Do I skip vaccuuming altogether or move it to tomorrow?  It doesn't work for me. 

 

So instead, I have made myself some simple cards.  One is labeled AM, one is PM, and one is DAY.  The cars have all the things that I just might need a reminder on, but not those things I have gotten the hang of (meal prep and clean up)

 

AM

- start load of laundry

- swish and swipe bathrooms (didn't like flylady, but liked this concept!)

- check dinner plans

- exercise 15 min.

 

PM

- check dinner plans for tomorrow, deforst?

- consolidate all papers to inbox

- check calendar, action lists

 

DAY

- 15 minute cleaning in zone

- 15 minute cleaning in hot spot (whatever area needs clean up the most... usually vacuuming under table and in living room.  Kids are involved in this, they clean up whatever areas I assign)

- Finish laundry cycle (dry, fold, put away)

 

My zone cleaning is based on my own home.  I grouped areas according to difficulty/size/type of products needed to clean.  For our 3 bedroom apartment, they are:

1. Entry + hall

2 parent's bedroom + office corner

3 Living and Dining

4 Kitchen

5 Kids' Rooms

 

When doing zone cleaning, I don't use a list (hate lists, see above!), I just look at it and see what needs to be done.  By the end of the week, I tend to be able to tackle a few deeper cleaning jobs because the surface jobs are all done. 

 

Finally, I have a "Get done once a week" list.  I can use my hot spot cleaning time if there is nothing too terrible that needs to be done on that day, otherwise I tend to get this done in one effort on the weekend_

- bathrooms deep clean (kids help)

-  Kitchen sink and stove top deep clean

- Kitchen and dining room floor mop

-  vacuum bedrooms (kids do theirs, but I usually have to help a bit)

-  move things in/out of basement storage (kids help)

-  inbox/weekly review

-  school prep

 

 

 

Anyway, the card system is that I have the following cards:

 

AM

PM

DAY (which has a list of "Get done once a week", as well as my zones and a sticker for which zone I'm in that week)

 

The cards are just taped up to my kitchen cabinet where I stand to do meal prep, so I can't miss them. 

 

I like this a lot better than detailed lists.  I suppose I could make a trigger list of sorts for zones, so that if I run out of things to do I could glance at it but I don't find this necessary.  I know during the week of kitchen zone, that cleaning the front of the cabinets and cleaning the oven, and cleaning the fridge, etc, are things to get done if possible.  And if they don't get done during that week, well, I just move on.  If something gets so awful (like maple syrup dripped all over the cupboard...) then I use my hot spot time for that, no matter what zone I'm in. 

 

Sometimes I literally set a timer when doing my day work, sometimes (esp for hot spot cleaning) I just go until it's done, as soon as the "fire" is spotted.

 

----------------

I do really like the MOM system.  It is my first experience with "professional" organization, and it has really cleared my head of all the to-dos floating around.  I like it so much that I've actually arranged to be able to give away one e-course as part of the opening of my new blog.  If you go to www.homeschoollaboratory.com and subscribe, you should see the givaway pop into your email in the next week or so.  I just need to finish writing my review and taking photos, and then I will be posting about the givaway!