No matter where you are in your journey as a mom, it always helps to learn new mom hacks that make life easier. And today, ladies, I’m bringing you three lists I use everyday that have helped bring more order to my daily life (and have have helped free up more bandwidth in my brain!).
Because here’s a struggle every mama finds to be real: we’re always running around with way too many things on our minds. At once. Some things are urgent and necessary, others are necessary but not urgent, and others are just things we want to get around to “someday”. And I don’t know about you, but having so many things constantly live streaming in my mind can actually make me want to crawl back in bed. It’s too much to focus on at once!
That’s why its important to dump your brain into structured lists. You can clear up thinking space and all the information doesn’t have to be scattered around. Because let’s face it: you do have a lot of things you want to get done, like get in shape and get your Master’s degree. And preferably before you’re 99. But the tyranny of the urgent often overtakes the moment, and you can forget what you were thinking about almost as quickly as it enters your mind.
I’m a simple person, but I’m also a structured person. I think sequentially and in bullet points. And if I feel like things are disorganized in my mind, it feels like my whole life is out of order.
That’s why I appreciate lists so much. And I hope, in this post, to help you free your mind up as well!
Without further ado, here are the three lists every mom who cares about peace of mind needs. And that would be you.
A running shopping list
A running shopping list is a shopping list that you’re continually adding things to as you come across a need in your home. As soon as I realize we’re out of something, or something needs to be replaced, I write it down on the list.
And boom. It’s out of my mind, but not forgotten.
I taped a magnet to the back of a notepad and stuck it on my fridge for a running shopping list. When I head out to the store, I just tear the list off the notepad and take it with. And thus, things get replaced when they need to.
You can also keep a copy of this list in your phone, or just keep the whole list in your phone if you prefer. I prefer paper and pen because I already look at screens too much during the day.
Also, if there are things I don’t end up getting at the store, I put them on the list again when I come home from the store.
A master to-do list
My master to-do list is where I keep ALL the things I need to do. And I mean, ALL THE THINGS. It’s not just a to-do list for the day-it’s a to-do list that contains everything that I’ve needed to do (sometimes for years). For example:
- Fix and sell car
- Study Nourishing Traditions and transform our diet
- Get baby’s birth certificate
- Find the kids a dentist
- Update our insurance
- Pay electric bill
- Order homeschooling curiculum
As soon as a new thing comes up that needs to get done, it goes in my master to do list. Everyday, I’ll pull something from this list. I’ll do the most urgent tasks first. If the task is easy, like paying a bill or making an appointment, I might do 2-3 things from this list everyday.
I recommend using Asana for task management (it’s free). I have other lists that I don’t talk about in this post, and it’s a good place to keep track of all of them.
A projects list
If you’re a home manager, then chances are you’re always thinking of things you want to do for the home to make things more organized/prettier/more efficient. And if you don’t put all of these things into a list, they’ll forever be on your mental list of “things you wish you could do, if you had time”.
But the truth is, you’ll never “have time,” if that’s how you look at it. You have to make time for this stuff. But that’s for another post.
Right now, for example, my projects list looks like this:
- Purge and organize garage
- Purge and organize office
- Create a photo album for each child
- Create a family photo album
- Make garden beds
There’s another list that I think every mom should have, and that’s a Personal Goals list. I know you have them. Mine includes losing weight, getting my Master’s degree, and becoming fluent in Spanish. Just because you’re a full-time mom doesn’t mean you need to stop dreaming and doing things to grow!
I hope this helps you get some more order to your life, or at least give your brain some rest. Are there other lists you use that I haven’t mentioned? Comment and let me know!
Related Posts:
How to Make a Morning Routine You Can Stick To
Use Routines to Make Your Days Run Smoothly
5 Home Management Tips for New Stay at Home Moms
How to Make a Schedule That Works
A Simple Method for Organizing Any Space
