Flylady Baby Steps #8

Today we are going to start our “control journal”. It sounds so exciting doesn’t it? 😀

A control journal is a place to put everything that you are probably trying to keep in your head right now… either that or it is on post it notes around. Eventually this will be a place to have checklist for routines, calendar, address book, recipes, anything and everything to make your home run smoothly. Now you may think that some of this you have in your phone or other places around. However what if you are not the person who needs to call the repairman? Or you are running late and someone else needs to start your recipe for goulash? Well this is a place to tell them where to go to find the information they need. 😉

However that is getting ahead of ourselves. For now just get a binder, anything will do. Even a paperclip if that is all you have till you can go to a store and get a binder. Then get 2 sheets of paper.

On the top of one write “Morning Routine”. On the top of the other write “Before Bed Routine”.

Now comes the fun part! You get to write your routines! I would encourage you to not write routines with numbers like this:

1. Get up and get dressed to lace up shoes; fixing your hair and face
2. Looking at your posted reminders in kitchen and bathroom
3. Read any messages on Flylady website or emails
4. Recognizing the negative voices and changing them! You are flying now!
5. Put out any hot spots for 2 minutes

Instead write them either with dots or nothing in front like this:

• Keep your sink shining
• Lay out your clothes for tomorrow
• Put out your hot spot (note this is optional but always a good idea)

The reason for this is when you write things with numbers you think (even subconsciously) that you have to do them in order of the numbers. When you write things with dots (or nothing) you don’t think like that. The point is to get things done, not what order that ends comes about.

By the way, if you can’t think of what to write, just look above. The numbered items are the Morning Routines and the dots are the Before Bed Routines.

Are you more of a visual person? Check out Diane in Denmark: