Let’s dive deep into making sure the systems we create in our homes work really well for us, day in, day out. otherwise – why are we setting them up?! Create home systems that work – and get more from life.
I really and truly love creating systems in my home, because they are fundamental to ensuring that things get done, while enabling me to not spend ALL.MY.TIME doing them!
Systems can save so much time, energy and effort – but they really are only useful if they run things well for you – so I wanted to look today at how to ensure your home systems work for you.
Here are my top 5 tips to stay in control – and have more time for you!
#1 – One Point Of Contact
In a business, there’s a manager.
One person that calls the shots, makes decisions, and has the final say in things.
Without that person, there could be lots of indecision with everyone trying to go in different directions – and not as much would get done.
I like to think of myself as the HOME BOSS – the manager of the home – and I hope that this is a tag you enjoy using as well from now on (seriously, it can give you a real sense of satisfaction to run your home like a boss!).
As the Home Boss – I am the person that is the main point of contact for everyone.
Yes, of course everyone has their say – but ultimately, planning the home, what’s in it, what we do in our schedule etc… – all comes through me as the main point of contact.
I am the one who writes things down on our monthly calendar, or updates a room, or creates a new place for storage in our house – and that way we stand a chance of things going smoothly.
Think about it another way….
If everyone were to write down new social events, appointments etc… on the calendar – it stands to reason that sometimes there will be clashes. Sometimes we will miss what has been written on there. Sometimes there will be arguments because of the chaos.
So – if it can go through one person who takes control of the overview of everything – any system has a real chance of succeeding!
#2 – One Schedule
In the same way as having one point of contact to write on a schedule is important (from point #1 above), so too is having ONE schedule for everything you need to know.
I always, always, ALWAYS (can’t stress this enough), have one diary for my life.
This is to add in everything that affects MY time each day/week/month.
If I have to do/go/see/drive/buy/call anyone or anything – then it all goes into my planner. No exceptions.
I don’t believe in having lots of different schedules dotted around. Whether we are working, playing, making appointments etc…, we are only one person – so it stands to reason that our time is shown on ONE diary/planner/schedule.
Yes – everyone in the family should have their own schedules that are all about them – as they should be! – but it is ALSO crucial to have one schedule for the FAMILY/HOME stuff that brings everyone together.
The easiest way I’ve found to keep this schedule is to have a monthly calendar on the wall in the kitchen (this is the place where we all see every day, so won’t be as easily missed).
It ONLY has on it the things that we all need to know as a family – and only those things that are away from the ordinary weekly schedule.
This way any ‘oddities’ stand out clearly – and we can see what’s coming up that *may* affect each other.
(Of course – they are only written on there by me as I am the point of contact – and as such I will work out or let people know whether they are affected and have to have it in their own planners etc…).
#3 – Stay On Top Of Things
I can’t state this point enough.
Systems are only good if you upkeep them.
If not – they become clutter and a source of discontent as well – and who wants that?
So – it makes sense that part of every system that you have should be some way to check in regularly.
After all – if you can stay on top of things by regularly checking in, and evaluating what’s working and what isn’t – then your systems have a chance of working properly for the long term.
Maybe you could sit down as a family each week for a home meeting to discuss plans for the coming weeks, or maybe you create a Sunday TO DO list so that you regularly check in to your schedule, or what about having a monthly house walk where you check on each room and tweak anywhere that’s not working well (where piles have started to grow etc…).
Related: 6 Things to Do on a Sunday to be Prepared for the Week Ahead
#4 – Design Systems For You – Never Copy
I share LOTS of ideas and inspiration for systems that you could try in your own home on this site – but I always try and make sure that there’s scope for making each system your own.
Why?
Well – something that works really well for me probably won’t work quite as effectively for you.
You have a different home, different time constraints, different family needs – different EVERYTHING! – so why would my system work the same for you?
Always make sure that when you start to set up a system you look at what’s important for your specific needs at the start.
If you can keep these in mind when creating things for your own home life – then you will be much more likely to have a system at the end of the day that works well and therefore stays the course.
By all means take inspiration from others – but always ask yourself if this is something that you truly need or that would truly work for you – or do you need to tweak in some way?
#5 – Empower Everyone
Yes, I am the 1 point of contact in my home that ensures everything stays on track and we have the right things in our schedule etc.. – but it’s SO important that everyone feels empowered to use the systems that are created.
If we don’t get the rest of the household on board – then systems will end up being lost amongst family life.
For example – get everyone involved in decluttering, let kids be responsible for their own rooms and/or their own laundry, set up a house meeting so that everyone feels heard, write down peoples jobs each week so they are fully aware of what’s expected of them – and in general make everyone part of the process at every stage.
This way – systems will become a part of family life – and then things *should* run more smoothly!
So – there you have it! – 5 crucial ways to ensure your home systems REALLY work for you, and your entire family.
If we spend time creating systems for our home – it stands to reason that making sure that they work for us is the most important step.
I hope these tips help you set up systems that work for you – and here’s to a simpler home life from today on….
P.S. If you want to know the 10 Essentials every home needs to run smoothly (including lots of systems, of course!), then CLICK HERE.
