Declutter Your Schedule: 5 Steps to Planning Your Family's Week

I’ve always debated whether December really is the busiest month of the year for our family. Of course, the holiday season has its typical hustle and bustle, but other times of the year always seem ready to give December a run for its money!

For our family, summer always seems filled to the brim with events and activities. The school year comes to a close while the kids' routine activities are still going on. Plus, there are graduations, recitals, activities, award ceremonies, and programs to top it all off.

It could easily be called Summer Madness! But I've learned a few secrets that help me keep up with it all, and I'm sharing them with you! Here’s a quick look at the 5 steps I use to declutter our schedule and plan a sane week for our family. I encourage you to apply these steps all year round, but especially in seasons where life becomes particularly busy.

Step 1 | Before the week begins, I look to see what activities are happening on my monthly calendar.

Step 2 | I take each activity and block off the time needed on my weekly calendar.

PRO TIP: When blocking off time for your weekly activities, I highly recommend also including the time it takes to get ready and drive to and from the activity. This will provide you with a more accurate indication of the time you need to set aside, eliminating any need to rush throughout the week.

Step 3 | I write down a list of things I need to do for the week.

Step 4 | This step is crucial! After making a list, I assign each task to a specific day and time. This affords me the freedom to choose when it’s the best time to accomplish each task.

PRO TIP: Gain extra time by conveniently grouping certain tasks together, rather than doing things haphazardly on the fly. When done correctly, this is truly magical, and makes all the difference in your week!

Step 5 | If there’s more on my list than what I'm capable of accomplishing, each task and activity gets evaluated with the following questions until my week becomes delightfully sane.

• Can I delegate this?

• Can I pay someone to do this for me?

• Can I say no to this?

• Can this wait?

I hope these 5 steps help you plan a stress-free week with ease. Share this with a busy friend and let's all enjoy our sanity together!