Operation Home & Family Organisation...

I read a quote recently which really resonated with me (by Anthony Robbins):

"Anytime you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life... I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I would no longer accept in my life, all the things I would no longer tolerate, and all the things I aspired to becoming."

For me lately, I've been struggling a bit to juggle it all... wife, sisterhood, motherhood, marathon training, friendships, just daily life stuff. One thing I really felt (and have felt for some time) is that I need to get more organised!

I've had this folder forever, well it feels like forever, I think since Christmas sales?

Thanks to the inspiration of my dear friend, I am getting started. I say started, because it could take a while before I feel my "Family Organsiation Folder" is complete... or perhaps that will never be :) like an evolving project always on the go, like life?

This is my progress so far:

I've put a family photograph into the window {yes Joshua has been cropped out, I'll have to replace it later}, and found a home in our kitchen where it can be easily assessed:

These are the forms I have completed so far:

• Family Information 
• Babysitter Information
• Emergency Treatment Consent
• Medical History

I've also got the Daily 15 minute clean up happening around here again:

Essentially the gist of the Daily 15 minute clean up is that we put some loud music on and a timer.... and GO FOR IT for 15 minutes each evening. Reality these days is that every evening we have activities... and I usually do it a few times throughout the day. Still it's really good when it does work.

Lots of forms I am continuing to work on:

• Account Tracker
• Address book (just created a PDF from my imac address file)
• Birthday & Anniversaries
• Birthday Organiser
• Birthday Party Planner
• Car Maintenance
• Master to do list
• Home Maintenance Log
• Children information
• School information
• Daycare information
• Preschool information
• Sports information
• online passwords
• pet information
• wallet content
• utilities tracker
• Travel packing checklist
• Travel pre-checklist
• First Aid kit checklist

Lots of these {and more} I have created over the past few years, but I've not had them in the one format or "home", aside from on my computer.

I like having them printed and easily assessable to everyone in the family.

Some of these forms, such as the account tracker and online passwords go into a folder where we keep our personal & legal documents, such as: our wills, deeds, originals of birth certificates, marriage certificate etc. This folder is stored in our safe (which is not in our home).

When I started on this project I found these tools to be very useful:

• These free printouts from Organized Home were a great start.
• I then found these at Life...your way. I paid the $7 to download ALL the forms. You can download them individually for FREE too, or buy various categories individually for less. 
• I really like this 52 weeks of organising idea from Organizing junkie too. Her download form is here.
• For my ipad, I've found these applications LifeTopix and Evernote. 

In the process of all this organisation, I realised that I need quite a few folders, not just a "Family Organsiation Folder". I am also going to create separate folders for these subjects:

• Christmas Planning 
• Blogging
• Recipes and menu planner, shopping etc I am making into another folder too, I have this one from Kikki K I have been working on. Thankfully two rounds of 12WBT makes this monumental (and healthy lifestyle imperative) much easier.

Cleaning, I could possibly make into it's own separate folder? I'll just have to see. I'm not sure that cleaning really goes with the information that is contained in the "Family Organsiation Folder" and with recipes of cleaning solutions, and tips etc... it very well may take up a whole other folder quite easily.

Again, these folders will incorporate lots of forms and notes I have already created over the years, and I'll share those along the way also.

I've also found that Typo has some great products, I like the weekly agenda notebook and find it very useful (especially incorporating my varied weekly marathon training schedule):

For my daily "to do lists" and general notes, ideas and inspiration, I like to use a simple note book. Once full I go through it to make sure I have used all of the content, or made a note in a file on my computer. Then I get another one and start the process again.

So there we are.

That's where I am at with my family orgainsation as at today.

I'll update again when I've made some more progress.

Hugs

Bx

Comments

[Lusi austin]

Hello lovely one :-)
LOVE seeing your folder and all the great links you shared. You've done such a lovely job!
Miss you.
Love you.
Lus x

[Ela]

The way you have discussed about each and everything is awesome.Also the way of representing each and every item is cool!