My original Victory plan was plain and simple. while I did keep things simple, I did make some changes in sequence for seasonal reasons, and then found a niche that worked for me year round.
The Evolution from the Original Plan to Finding My Sweet Spot
Original Plan (annotated)
1. Walk
I woke up, dressed, grabbed the flags, and put them out, hanging from the deck as I headed out for a morning 1.5 mile (30-minute walk)
2. Shower
I came home, showered, dressed, put on a brow-shaper (my brows are turned white and the brow-shaper helps make my brows visible), put on earrings, and brushed my hair! I made my bed and grabbed the laundry on the way to the kitchen.
3. Breakfast
I made and ate my breakfast, and did dishes. I made green and fruit smoothies for my daughter and me. I cooked breakfast for my husband and son.
4. Laundry
I started laundry for the day. The rule was "see it through." When the buzzer went off, I stopped what I was doing, change loads, folded, and completely put away laundry. I was embarrassed when I got to my husband's drawer and saw that it was empty of socks and underclothes! I am usually up on things but in the past few weeks, not so much.
5. Dinner Preparation
I made salad dressings, shredded cheese for the salad, cut/rinsed/spun the lettuce (and placed it in a wide-mouth mason jar, Cut up the veggies for a salad topping, and brought up everything I needed to fix dinner later in the day.
6. 30-minute Clean
I made salad dressings, shredded cheese for the salad, cut/rinsed/spun the lettuce (and placed it in a wide-mouth mason jar, Cut up the veggies for a salad topping, and brought up everything I needed to fix dinner later in the day.
7. Personal Devotional
On the first day, I sat down for 30 minutes of personal prayer and scripture study. As I sat there reading the scriptures a flood of peace poured over me that I was doing the right thing. Then my husband passed me and checked the empty laundry basket. He went to his room and pulled out his drawer. A sense of pure satisfaction flowed through me.
Daily, I worked on my plan and I saw that the order needed to be changed to facilitate a smoother morning. Within a week my plan was contagious! Others began to add to the order and the calm. I felt that I again became Lady of the Manner. Over the summer I learned these were valuable daily habits. We had a steady stream of family visits from out of state. I still maintained my daily foundation!!!
One day while my daughter was visiting, I had risen and completed my morning routine. We went shopping. We shopped until dinner time. She insisted on buying a pizza. I moved my dinner plans to the next night, and we had the salad I had prepared that morning along with pizza that night. My morning foundation made it so we could sit down to dinner minutes after walking through the door!
I also found that I needed to change the order of my original plan to best serve my needs for the summer months.
My Warm Weather Plan for the First Summer
1. Personal Devotions
I had to start my day with personal devotions rather than putting the Lord last!
2. Daily Walk & Put Out Flags
I needed the stress reducer and energizer to kick off my day!
3. Shower, Dress, Groom, Make the Bed & Grab Laundry
As I leave my bathroom ready for the day, this was the perfect time to make my bed and grab the laundry as I was leaving for the kitchen.
4. Laundry
Start Laundry if there is enough laundry, if not it can wait another day.
5. Breakfast, Dinner Prep and Dishes
By now everyone is up and ready to go!
6. Dinner Prep and Dishes
It makes more sense to do dishes once after breakfast and dinner prep!
7. The 30-Minute Clean
I clean hard and get as much done in 30 minutes as I can. A consistent 30 minutes a day dealing with ridding myself of what bugs me is very refreshing!
Until recently, during the cooler months of the year, I saved my walk for a warmer time of day. I have now discovered a place I can walk inside, when it is cold and snowy.
My Current Plan
1. Personal Devotions
2. Daily Exercise
3. Shower, Dress, Groom & Make Bed
4. Grab Laundry & Start Laundry
5. Breakfast, Dinner Prep & Dishes
6. Home Learning
7. 30-Minute Power Clean
As you can see, habits can be changed, refined, and moved around to adjust the routine to changing circumstances. At all stages of the family, I needed each habit routine. I will eat as long as I live, whether I have a whole family here or become an empty nester. I still need to shower, groom, and make my bed. Eating a good breakfast and doing dinner prep, and dishes will always be helpful. A well-furnished mind is an asset at any stage of life. We never stop needing exercise. A 30-Minute Power Clean is an easy way to tame a home after interruptions, such as illness, or guests, impact our routines. These are simply basic core routines.
So, at the end of that first summer, I was back doing homeschool. I had my daughter to home educate, and I mentored other students in my home. I knew I had to adjust my rhythms. I wanted to make a plan that worked with home learning, and broader exercise than just walking. Also, by this time my cleaning became a 30-Power Clean, as much as I could accomplish in 30 minutes. So, I changed the verbiage. Even as children grow into adulthood, and leave home, I am still able to maintain my plan, including home learning.
At some point, we need to consider those areas that tend to become trouble spots. If that area will be a constant repeat of annoyance, consider a system to deal with it. For instance, the mail pile; consider tossing the junk in the trash before coming into your house. Is it hard to homeschool in an untidy home? Consider having your family participate in a quick tidy-up, just before the bedtime routine begins. Then in the morning you only have dishes after breakfast and dinner prep, and making the beds.
What about deep cleaning? After several weeks of doing the 30-Minute Power Clean, you run out of trouble spots. That is when I use the same time and switch to a zone cleaning system. You can alternate days, one day or week deep cleaning a zone and one day or week doing a 30-minute Power Clean. Don't trouble yourself with zones at this point. Let's work on getting steady habits.
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