Friday, March 18, 2016

SPRING SYSTEMS...BE PREPARED - DAY 19 OF THE MARCH SOLSC #SOL16

I am participating in the Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC; #SOL16) 
hosted by Two Writing Teachers
Each day for the month of March I will be posting a "Slice of Life". 
Please feel free to stop back and check out my other posts here.

Spring Cleaning Systems


Spring starts officially this weekend. It's time to get focused on Spring Cleaning, right? This year, I'm thinking I may need a different focus.

I live in a house of scouts. My younger son is a Cub Scout, my older son is a Boy Scout, my husband is a leader for both. With all of this, you'd really think we'd have things "together" a little more. I mean, after all, think of the Boy Scout's Motto!

Boy Scout Motto:  Be Prepared
The Scout motto means that you are always ready to do what is necessary to help others. It also means you are ready, willing, and able to do what is necessary in any situation that comes along. You are also being prepared to live a full and worthwhile life, being a physically fit, honorable citizen of strong character.

If their motto is to BE PREPARED, then we should BE PREPARED, right?! 

And yet, I feel like we are NEVER prepared. We are constantly scrambling at the last minute to get things "together" and be ready to go. Tonight, the older two are camping...I sure hope they have what they need! Stuff was being thrown into the pack as they scrambled out the door, and of course frustrations were HIGH!

The biggest thing is that this is not an unusual occurrence. It's really more of the norm, and I hate it! Funniest is, I think we all hate it. I mean, who likes feeling rushed and unprepared?! And yet, this is our life.

So, I am on a mission to "fix" it! We need to find a better way to BE PREPARED. 

In my classroom, I knew to have systems in place for how things would run, where things belonged, etc.  I wouldn't say we have none of that at home, but what we have clearly isn't working! So, we need to tighten up some systems, implement some new ones, and work together to develop a plan to BE PREPARED.

This Spring, rather than a focus on Spring Cleaning, our family will be focusing on Spring SYSTEMS. There is no reason we are constantly searching for camping stuff at every camping trip. No reason things aren't set and ready to go in a timely manner. No reason things we need all the time aren't cleaned & set where we need them to ease our morning routines. 

Maybe then, we will BE PREPARED...and even better, FEEL PREPARED!




7 comments:

  1. I find one of the best "systems" for me is that everything has a place. You put it there when you get home or unpack or whatever the case may be, then you know exactly where it is the next morning, the next trip, etc. Everything has a place and everyone must put things back in their designated place - otherwise, it won't work:)

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  2. I love how you pull together your classroom expertise with your Scouting motto to make a personal decision; inspiration can happen anywhere! I have a mess of a house, but we do have systems in place that keep us on track (most of the time). Now if I could just apply the system idea to cleaning and decluttering....

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  3. I always have such good intentions right before spring - for cleaning and organizing. I have yet to finish the whole list before fall! Best wishes on your cleaning/organizing journey!

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  4. I'm so curious on what these systems will be! I think it will reduce that frustration you feel when you are rushed! I'm inspired to rethink my systems too!

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  5. More power to you! I sincerely hope all systems work like a charm. We are a family of four; and we, also, are hopelessly unprepared. I hope you slice about how this all turns out. I'd love a guidebook to follow!

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  6. This is a great idea. How we put so much energy into our classrooms and our homes, I will never know. I am in the process "of taking back my house." Wow! It takes so much energy, doesn't it?

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  7. Be prepared - great motto. Would love to see your systems - I certainly need them! I spend more looking for something I know I have. ugh.

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