I stumbled across Loop Scheduling a while ago. A simple Google search will bring up plenty of blogs proclaiming the merits of Loop Scheduling and offering free printable schedules with blanks and check boxes to fill out. I prefer good old fashioned lists. And we don't have any ink for our printer, so I couldn't print out a schedule even if I wanted to.
I've ended up with four different lists of varying length. "Daily", "Weekly", "Monthly", and "As Needed". If something needs to be done more than once a week or month, then you list it multiple times spread out through the other tasks on your list. Here's a peek at my lists.
My Loop Schedule adventure began on a Thursday and I didn't do anything from the lists over the weekend other than keep up on daily tasks. My goal is to complete my weekly list during the Monday-Friday stretch of the week so that on Saturday and Sunday I have to concern myself with only cooking and washing dishes. Here is a rundown of how my first week went. I'm mainly focusing on the weekly and monthly tasks in this write up so I haven't included what daily and as needed tasks I've accomplished each day.
Day 1 - Thursday
Tasks completed: vacuum main level, vacuum upstairs (and stairs), sweep, dust, wash bedding (monthly item)
I'm always very enthusiastic when I start doing something new so I knew I was going to accomplish a lot on my first day. I also ended up rewriting the lists on the first day because I realized there were things on the weekly and monthly lists that would be better put somewhere else.
Day 2 - Friday
Tasks completed: bathe Adeline, clean laundry room and steps
Not as productive of a day because I had a headache almost the whole day. And yes, I need to write on a list that my child needs a bath because I honestly forget how long it's been since her previous bath.
Day 3 - Monday
Tasks completed: clean stove, clean main bathroom, clean small bathroom, wipe down kitchen cabinets (monthly task)
I was supposed to clean the stove on Day 2, but didn't have a spray bottle for the natural degreaser I wanted to try, so we bought one over the weekend and I cleaned the stove on Day 3. There is flexibility in the Loop Schedule.
Day 4 - Tuesday
Tasks Completed: none
Besides folding laundry and tidying up the kitchen (and baking bread) I didn't do much housework, and didn't do anything off of the monthly or weekly lists. The weather was quite nice for February in Michigan so I spent time outside working on the landscaping. I dug out every single decorative rock buried along on the border of the landscaping and dug up some bulbs crammed together in a small corner so I can move them to a bigger space. Adeline spent some time outside with me but I don't think she was a fan of the wind.
Day 5 - Wednesday
Tasks Completed: bathe Adeline
It was another day of beautiful weather so I spent more time working outside and didn't do much housework. My body is sore now from digging, moving rocks, and pushing the wheelbarrow around. It was so enjoyable though and I really loved being outside. Adeline came outside with me again and got to eat some dirt and leaves for the first time.
And now we're back to the day of the week that I first started Loop Scheduling: Thursday. I'm actually down to the last item on my weekly list and then I can start over again at the top. I can tell the house is in need of tidying after spending the past two days working outside, so it's a good thing "vacuuming" is next on the list.
Overall, I think my first week went well. There really is a lot of flexibility in Loop Scheduling. Those couple of days where I did several tasks in one day enabled me to spend two days working outside and still nearly finish the whole list in one week. Some days I'll be able to complete several items on my lists while on other days different things will be requiring my attention, but I can always come back to the list and continue with my schedule. I'm really hoping I can stick with Loop Scheduling and be better about keeping our home clean and functional.
To end this blog post, here are a few simple tips I came across during my first week of Loop Scheduling:
Keep your schedule as short and basic as possible. I do think my lists are a bit long, but they started out being even longer before I moved laundry to the "as needed" list. You don't want this to be an intimidating to-do list that will never be conquered. Keep it realistic. You can always add more items later on after getting in the groove of completing a Loop Schedule.
If completing one task logically leads to starting another one, then put them on your list in that order. Vacuuming and sweeping stir up a lot of dust, so it makes sense to me to list "dusting" after these tasks.
Group similar tasks together so that if you are able to complete more than one task a day then you don't have to haul out the vacuum or certain cleaning supplies more than once a week.
Let me know if you give Loop Scheduling a try! I'd love to hear about your adventure!