Photo by Andrea Davis
As a COO in a Fortune 500 company, I truly believe my life is no different from running a large corporation. In my household, I’m the CEO, COO, CFO, and all their assistants! From managing family schedules and groceries to finances and my own career, the list is endless. My secret weapon? Lists, to-dos, and reminders. These are the systems that empower me to run my “personal Fortune 500.”
Core Operational Lists
Family Calendar: With my husband’s frequent travel, my two in-office days, and the kids’ myriad events and competitions, our family calendar is a lifesaver. It’s how my husband and I coordinate our days amidst the beautiful chaos.
Food Management:
- Weekly Tiffin & Family Meal Menus: I’m fortunate to have a cook, but for too long, we were stuck in a rut of the same 3-4 staple dishes. Planning weekly menus for my children’s tiffins and our family meals has been a true blessing. It ensures we maintain a balanced, nutritious diet, eliminates the daily “what to eat?” dilemma, minimizes food waste, and curtails impulsive takeout orders.
- Grocery List: Our mothers and grandmothers were masters of this, buying dry groceries in bulk to avoid panic. While we don’t have space for a year’s supply of wheat, a monthly bulk grocery run is entirely feasible. My list is meticulously categorized into cleaning supplies, dry groceries, dairy items, and tiffin packing supplies. This not only keeps us stocked but also saves money.
Cleaning Schedules:
We all dread Diwali cleaning, right? The joy of discovering forgotten items and tackling layers of dust makes it feel like we never clean! That’s why I created my “Diwali Cleaning” checklist, which I tackle every six months. It’s broken down by room, covering everything from drawers and papers to kitchen items and airing out guest linens. The satisfaction of ticking off each item is immense. I also enlist my maid’s help for the heavier tasks. This focused effort, about an hour a day for 15 days every six months, results in a complete home overhaul.
Daily Schedule:
I thrive on the satisfaction of ticking things off. My daily to-do list includes even the smallest tasks: taking supplements, journaling, drinking water, and reading.
Supporting Lists
I also maintain several less-frequently used but immensely helpful lists: a travel packing list, kids’ diaper bag checklist, a “books to read” list, and a skincare routine list.
Essential Reminders
Like a well-oiled machine, my system includes crucial reminders for recurring tasks:
- Monthly:
- Check Kids’ Vaccinations
- Expense Review
- Investment Review
- Date Night
- Meetup with Friends
- Weekly:
- Clean Fridge
- Vacuum
- Change Bedsheets
- Wash Towels
Please don’t be overwhelmed; while it may seem like a lot, offloading these details from your brain frees up mental space for more analytical and strategic thinking.This has been discussed in many books Getting Things Done by David Allen and The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin.
If you’re interested in adopting a similar system, I have a Notion template you can download and customize.