Create a Maintenance Schedule to Stay Organized at Home

 Before you can get organized, you’ve got to have a plan. Being organized starts by identifying what needs to be organized and then tackling it one step at a time. Being organized includes making a schedule so you have the dedicated time slot to do the actual thing that needs to be done.

 Home maintenance can easily be forgotten or delayed if there isn’t a plan in place. Before you know it, things get out of hand and there is an overwhelming amount of work to be done. An easy way to keep up with maintenance is to create a schedule that prompts you throughout the year.

With the new year approaching, this is a great time to intentionally make a plan and schedule that allows you to make progress and spread the work out to avoid overwhelm.

 Using a spreadsheet or calendar, create a maintenance schedule that sets aside a day or specific time to carry out the task. Here are some typical tasks that can be easily managed when spread out over time.

 Annually: 

• Trim trees and bushes for change of season
• Clean gutters of debris
• Change filters on heating and air systems
• Change batteries in alarms and smoke detectors
• Clear closets of clutter: purge, donate, and discard accordingly
• Power wash concrete or other outdoor surfaces
• Schedule annual service calls to keep systems in optimal order 

Monthly: 

• Change indoor air filters on heating and air systems
• Deep clean bathrooms, baseboards, ceiling fans, and other areas
• Clean accumulated clutter from garage or other spaces
• Coordinate monthly services for pest control, lawn maintenance, and other services
• Schedule bill paying

Weekly:  

• Replenish paper products throughout the home
• Evaluate home and make a menu and shopping list
• Laundry
• Empty indoor trash cans and set cans curbside

 These are basic ideas of tasks that can be scheduled throughout the year and make it possible to organize home maintenance so it doesn’t become too overwhelming. You can easily modify the list to include the specific items unique to your families needs.

 Consider this:

 Most people underestimate the amount of time they have. They have the best of intentions for keeping their home clean and organized but simply run out of time. This method helps disburse the chores and allows time to be designated to carry out the chore. Doing so helps make the tasks manageable and easy to complete if you discipline yourself to the schedule. This is another example of practicing Kaizen...making the small, continuous progress forward.

 Having a maintenance schedule on hand can reduce the sense of overwhelm and make chores easier to manage. Spend time working out a schedule and stick to it for long-term success. Each year, you can assess the schedule and see where you can make modifications. Over time you will streamline the schedule and knock your home maintenance tasks off your list with ease. When you have a schedule, you’ll have more piece of mind and a well maintained home.

Until next time...

Lisa

 P.S. A maintenance schedule for your home helps you stay organized just as a maintenance program for your life can help you stay organized, motivated, and accomplished in every area...remember, the philosophy of A House With Four Rooms is to think of yourself as having a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual rooms that you “visit” daily; this means that you must do something in each room for your well-being. This is just one type of maintenance schedule you can do for your life; another is to get regular coaching. If you have personal and professional goals, I encourage you to check out my Achieve with UNLIMITED Laser Coaching that’s transforming lives of both women and men. The recurring program is 6 months of UNLIMITED Laser Coaching sessions that focus on individual goals with agreed upon ACTION STEPS (homework). Clients are accelerating their progress because once they complete their ACTION STEPS, they can schedule their next session...truly a remarkable program, and it’s still available at the holiday pricing until January 2nd. Join now at www.lisamcgrath.me/unlimited-laser-coaching-1 and book your first session.