What’s Your Standard Operating Procedure?
Now that fall is in full swing and the holiday season is imminent, it becomes all too easy for our to-do’s and household chores to pile up like the leaves in the yard. Do you have a strategy for handling the mounting activities and demands?
For me, a plan to handle the increasing demands on my time and energy eliminates much of the stress. There will be days and moments that I feel buried in my to-do list and a couple of the balls I’m juggling will bobble or fall.
But, I have an easy-to-follow map to get back on track—my Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
My SOP is a binder that I use to organize the information I need on a daily basis. I’ve tried any number of iPads, phone apps, and computer programs, but none can handle the breadth of information I use on a daily basis in a way that I like. Plus, I like being able to leaf through my binder and take out things I need.
Here are the materials you need to make one:
- a tough binder (mine is 1.5″)
- tabbed dividers
- a 3-hole punch
- Printables or forms you want to use
- A label maker (optional)
Here’s how to set it up:
The specific content of your binder depends on what you need. The first thing to look at are your categories. Some possible categories might be:
- Calendar
- Schedules
- Cleaning
- Menus
- Finances
- To-Do list
- School
- Medical
- Contacts
- Blogging
- Workout
- Crafts/Projects
- Holiday Planning
- Work
- Holiday Planning
What categories apply to your life? Are there any that you don’t see on my list? What parts of your life are the hardest to balance?
Moms are busy, and military moms are busier! We have an easy way to handle the contacts category of your binder and take some of the pressure off. https://www.conxt.com/pcs was designed exclusively for military parents, and is an online address book that automatically stays up-to-date!
Moms are busy, and military moms are busier! We have an easy way to handle the contacts category of your binder and take some of the pressure off. https://www.conxt.com/pcs was designed exclusively for military parents, and is an online address book that automatically stays up-to-date!
This is awesome! I’m excited for this series! My hubby is currently in OSUT at Ft. Benning, so we will be moving in the near future. I’m hoping to get my life organized when we do, so I’m excited to learn more about this! 🙂
That sounds like a lot of work. I’m curious how long you’ve been able to keep this system going? Maybe it works out in the long run, but it sounds overwhelming to try and set it up. I’d love to hear more.
Have you gone through this series? I am looking for examples and printable forms?