Putting Systems in Place at Home and in Relationships

Last week I wrote about putting systems in place for small business so this week I'm tackling systems for home and relationships.

We all fall into one of the following categories:

• those who have systems in place for business/at work but not at home 
• those who have systems in place at home but not in business/at work those who have systems in place - even if not for every single detail - at home and for business/at work OR 
• those who are in a full-on mess and don't have anything consistent in their lives except ups and downs.

I have systems for business and home. To give you an idea, one of the many things I do at home is wash dishes once a day as one of the last things I do before going to bed. I'm not willing to wash dishes more than once a day - holidays and special occasions are different, of course - because I have other things to do with my time. But what I need for the day is ready when I get up each morning, in addition to waking to a clean and empty sink to fill throughout. Included in this process is that if someone wants a dish that's in the sink after breakfast or lunch, it's their individual responsibility to clean it for use.

This system works in my household and everyone's privy to it. It may not work in yours, but it's now a framework you've been exposed to that will help you adopt a system for your life if you need one.

When I worked outside of the home and didn't homeschool, when we came in the door each afternoon, you put your shoes in the cubby under the washer, washed hands, backpacks were emptied and papers were sorted into two baskets - what I needed to review and homework. Snack was served and homework was completed at the kitchen table as I made dinner.

You also need systems for relationships. Whether work or personal you need to know each party's expectations, needs and desires and determine which are appropriate for you to fulfill and which you're willing to meet. For example, it's not proper for you to return to work each week after your days off and share your personal experiences with your manager. However, it's very appropriate to share your daily happenings with your spouse and family.

Just as business owners train employees, we have to train our loved ones how to treat us. Right now I'm learning my sweetheart and he's learning me. We're teaching each other how we need and want to be treated by the other and aligning our behaviors. We're communicating our expectations so that systems can be developed as we move forward. These systems won't always be the same because people change, but it's easier to adapt something that already exists than it is in these beginning stages where we're creating one process from two different entities. I'm teaching on this in greater detail in a live web event Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

I encourage you to look over your business/work, home and relationship systems this week and note any areas needing improvement. If you've already received enough information to implement change, get it done. if you need an outside pair of eyes to target a success strategy schedule a call or book a package today. I'd love to help make your life easier.