As my quest for a stress free and more balanced life continues, I have turned my focus to how my home is run on a daily basis. Stress doesn’t just come from your own bad habits, but sometimes a household change is in order to get things right. Much like the early bird challenge shook up my morning routine, I am shaking up my family’s day-to-day for the next month just to see if it gets us running like a well oiled machine.

The biggest issue is planning and organization. When my husband and I were childless, it wasn’t a big deal to have no idea what was for dinner each night, juggle schedules at the last minute, or pay bills willy-nilly. Now that we have a toddler, who needs consistency and a well balanced existence, we let some things fall through the cracks because we are trying to use the same logic on a new problem. It is time for us to change our game plan, for sanity’s sake and here are five areas we must tackle immediately. I will check back with a progress report.

Vision Casting

We have a general idea, but a fully flushed out vision for our family written out on paper for all the world to see, we have not. Our New Year’s Day to talk, where we discuss the last year and plan the next, isn’t enough. A vision directs your planning so you know you are going in the right direction with every step you take. We need that.

Get Yo’ Money Right

My husband and I, much like the rest of America, were not taught about family money management. We are thankful for the blessings of God, but sometimes struggle with being good stewards. We need to create a financial plan that speaks to the vision we want for our future and gets us on the same page.

Calender Ugrade

The days of last minute planning and flying by the seat of our pants is over. Both my husband and I travel once in a while for work, we have active social lives, and are involved in ministry at our church. Now, our three-year-old is getting invited to parties and play dates. We need a better planning strategy for our daily, weekly, and monthly lives to keep everything straight.

Yours, Mine, and Our Time

When life picks up the pace, you sometimes let the quality time you spent with loved ones go by the wayside. We need to re-prioritize our time commitments to make room for each other, and that includes alone time, couple time, and family time.

Welcome Your Support System

Have you ever noticed how often people will offer their help and we greet their kindness with a smile and kind thank you, but don’t really take it seriously. We do that all the time and it must stop. We have a treasure trove of people wanting to help us succeed in one way or another and we need see those moments as blessings coming forth, not empty gestures.

BMWK, when it comes to family – what do you stress about?