Welcome to Heather's Blog
002 | Plan and Prep: A Walkthrough of My Organization

002 | Plan and Prep: A Walkthrough of My Organization

Greetings and I hope your week is filled with joy! As I dive back into my blog, my focus is on preparing for incremental (1%) positive changes—those small but impactful shifts that unfold in the days, weeks, and months to come. The overarching theme centers around reducing friction in key areas of my life: health, financial independence, personal growth, and the intricate balance of being a stay-at-home mom. As Yogi Berra wisely puts it,

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”

Clean Space

On December 31, 2023, I found myself surrounded by an overwhelming sense of foreboding and stress within my office space. A few neglected 5-minute projects and dusty counters silently begged for attention. My toddler and pups have been pulling me in every other direction, so this has not been a priority. It was then that I remembered the profound impact of a clutter-free and organized environment on my overall well-being. Taking a cue from this insight, I engaged in a revitalizing session—hanging frames, dusting counters, watering plants, and washing my desk -- It was really covered in paint and maybe some food.

“According to Dr. Brown, cleaning your space may help reduce your cortisol levels, turn down the volume on the visual noise, and help you focus on the things you need to, and that could potentially improve your mood.”
                                                Psycom.net

Dr. Brown emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of cleaning one's space.  This holds particularly true for me, given my dual responsibilities of working from home and raising a toddler while embarking on this blogging venture. The significance lies not just in the act of cleaning, but in the transformation of the environment and how our thinking can change as we see and feel the progress. A well-lit, semi-adorned/decorated space, with the added charm of real or faux plants, becomes a haven that nurtures the desire to sit down and engage with work. Now that my physical workspace is primed, let’s transition into the realm of digital organization.

Digital Organization

In the realm of digital organization, my primary focus turns to versatile tools like Google Sheets (though Excel is equally applicable). The goal now, is to navigate and plan for the organized chaos that comes with managing a household of three, well five with two crazy-loving dogs. The canvas of Google Sheets provides the perfect space for crafting comprehensive lists and plans covering various facets of our daily lives—ranging from housekeeping tasks and feeding schedules to chore responsibilities and essential reminders.

This endeavor must be dynamic, just like our ever-evolving plans for organization and life in general. I will start with two-week or month-long plans allowing us to make real-time adjustments and refinements as we navigate through our routines.

Upon achieving success and identifying necessary adaptations, the sheet will undergo thoughtful amendments before being reprinted and retried. Furthermore, the possibility of laminating the finalized list and placing it on the fridge for weekly referencing adds a layer of practicality and sustainability.

The focus areas for this digital organization span across three key domains:

Section Three: Digital Organization

In the realm of digital organization, my primary focus turns to the versatile tool of Google Sheets (though Excel is equally applicable). The goal is to navigate and plan for the organized chaos that comes with managing a household of three, complete with two dogs. The canvas of Google Sheets provides the perfect space for crafting comprehensive lists covering various facets of our daily lives—ranging from housekeeping tasks and feeding schedules to chore responsibilities and essential reminders.

This endeavor is dynamic, mirroring the ever-evolving nature of organization. Commencing with a two-week plan, the approach is adaptive, allowing for real-time adjustments and refinements as we navigate through our routines. Upon achieving success and identifying necessary adaptations, the sheet undergoes thoughtful amendments before being reprinted. Furthermore, the possibility of laminating the finalized list and placing it on the fridge for weekly referencing adds a layer of practicality and sustainability.

The focus areas for this digital organization span across three key domains:

1. Budget:

With fiscal responsibility in mind, the first arena of planning involves budgeting. Google Sheets offers a structured platform to meticulously outline income, expenditures, and savings goals. This tool becomes invaluable in fostering financial mindfulness and tracking our journey towards financial independence. To simplify my responsibility and labor later, I will separate out set and variable spending with my spouse so I only weekly watch things like dates, groceries, gas, and shopping instead of having to sort things like mortgages that are always the same.

2. Toddler/Mom Schedule at Home:

Central to the organization is the synchronization of toddler and mom schedules in a home environment. Crafting a well-thought-out plan on Google Sheets ensures that our days are optimized for productivity and quality time, striking a harmonious balance between structured activities and moments of spontaneity. These will change weekly and I will plan for free local events, gym time, and learning.

3. Housekeeping and Life Chaos Plan:

Addressing the challenges of housekeeping and the inherent chaos of life, Google Sheets will become the canvas for a comprehensive plan, that the whole family can see on the fridge. This encompasses everything from daily chores to periodic tasks, providing a roadmap to maintain a tidy(er) and organized living space amidst the unpredictability of everyday life. As this digital organization unfolds, the aim is not just efficiency but the creation of a flexible system that caters to the unique needs of our family, fostering a sense of order and harmony in our daily lives. This is not about perfection, but can help foster the habits of clean healthy living that we want to teach our daughter.

So with that background, let's dive into some sheet design!

Budget

First tip: Look through your previous year and categorize your spending. Then you can split these into annual and monthly as well as variable and non-variable.

        Here is an example:

Second Tip: Dropdowns - In Google Sheets if you type @ dropdowns, you can place your categories in the spreadsheet as a dropdown, here is an example:

Third Tip:  we will be doing an itemized deduction system for 2024 so I made the same spreadsheet with a dropdown including the following items I may deduct for in 2024.

• Mileage, tolls, and parking for business, charity, medical, moving
• Sales Tax
• Property Tax
• Home office - a portion of mortgage, utilities, and maintenance
• Business Expenses and Office Supplies
• Charity and Donations
• Mortgage Interest
• Business - Advertising expenses and applicable Membership fees (i.e. business leagues, chambers of commerce, civic or public service organizations, professional organizations such as bar associations and medical associations, real estate boards, and trade associations.)        
• Medical if more than 7.5% of our combined and adjusted gross income for the tax year
• Qualified business deduction - and Self-employment deduction (covers and makes social security and medicare payments non-taxed pretty much)

Toddler/Mom Schedule at Home

Last week I shared a blank template, but this week I want to make our base template for our normal get-ready and productive times if there are no family events, free things, or special activities. I will start with my gym classes and my daughter’s gym activities first, as I focus on not rushing out the door if possible. Since my daughter is not in school this year, I really want to focus on a low-stress environment. This Schedule will look jam-packed, but I am happy to skip things if my kiddo sleeps in or we are having too much fun learning about some things she is interested in. Here is my order of placing things, and I hope it gives you some ideas.

1. Place in all the healthy things, gym, walks, and outside time.
2. Add in free age-appropriate weekly activities like community events, church activities, and library reading time.
3. Allow for time to pack snacks, pack diaper bags, and to travel
4. Then add meals, wake up, and wind down times.
5. After this, I add in play times and productivity times for me.

Housekeeping and Life Chaos Plan

Whew. Between dogs aging, me aging, and a hairy house this is daunting. I do not want expect a perfectly clean house 24/7, that is unreasonable. I just want to save money on a housecleaner and not live in grossness all the time. With that, I may increase or decrease the frequency of certain tasks to keep the house clean enough for me in this season of life. And, if all else fails, we may call in emergency cleaning if we ever get too far behind.

First, I am making a list of tasks that are 1. Daily, 2. Weekly, 3. Biweekly, and 4. Monthly. Think dusting, bathrooms, mopping, etc. Most pet-free households do not need the frequency we will with two dogs plus long-haired humans as well.

Now, I will take the daily list and separate it into Morning, Lunch, Dinner, and Bedtime... and the weekly tasks can be split by day.

For example, My weekly schedule looks like this:

Then, each day of the week there are alternating chores and tasks.

Also, every month, our family will try to complete these tasks:

Then at the bottom of the page, I added a spot for important dates this month. I will hand write in Birthdays and free local events here as well.

Check out a printable starting PDF Here, this is great for 2 weeks, and then you’ll need to reuse the top sections for the third and fourth week of the month as well.

Finally, the wrap-up

I spend 3-4 hours creating PDFs that I can print to help my family watch our budget, have a healthy semi-flexible routine, and maintain a clean and semi-organized lifestyle. This time may be hard for you to carve out, and if so... please use the resources I included or find someone else who has made them available online. We are all here, hopefully, to help and encourage each other so let’s start small, get organized, and be 1% better every day.

Thank you again for joining me as I navigate the intersection of family life, personal aspirations, and quantitative goal-setting. Together, let's move beyond resolutions and carve out a path toward meaningful, measurable achievements.

Here's to a journey of purpose, progress, and a life well-lived.

Heather