Jul 8, 2024 7 min read process

Home Sweet Organized Home: How We Tackle Projects and To-Dos at Home

We have a lot of "stuff" going on in our lives, so this post tackles a portion of the types of tracking, processes, and tools we use daily.

Photo by Karl Solano / Unsplash

We have a lot of stuff going on in our lives (as does everyone), so we try to use the lightweight organization methods we use at work for our home life helping us stay focused on our goals. For brevity (even though this article is not short!), this article will focus on "family and home," covering:

Techniques or processes for organization
Frequency of review and updates
Tooling requirements
Tools used, tested, and currently in use

And yes, as you read this article you will realize that I am a total project management nerd (and proud of it!)!

We track several functions for our home and family, including:

Major Tasks and Projects

It's a LOOOOOONG list and there are a lot of low-priority items (like replacing the mailbox that’s starting to rust), but it is all there so that it’s out of our minds. These items are tracked differently from the day-to-day things since they will require some sort of research, something usually to buy and possibly install.

Organization of Major Tasks and Projects

Create a Board: Use 5 columns - Backlog, Q1: Jan-Mar, Q2: Apr-Jun, Q3: Jul-Sep, Q4: Oct-Dec. If starting mid-year, use only the relevant quarters.
Establish the List: Start with a basic list and add items as they come to mind.
Prioritize: Assign a priority (High, Medium, Low) to each item.
Stack Rank: Review and rank higher-priority items.
Distribute Items: Move items into appropriate columns. Tips:
- Schedule indoor tasks for colder months and outdoor tasks for warmer months.
- Focus on planning the first two quarters unless necessary to plan further ahead.
- Complete high-priority items as soon as possible to avoid delays.
- Parenting Tip: Tackle labor-intensive tasks in Summer and early Fall to avoid peak illness season from daycare and school.

Our home board from 2023 (the first time I tried this) started in late February, so I organized the columns differently than for 2024:

Our 2024 board has the first two quarters updated, with Q3 and Q4 sparse for now. Most outdoor work is scheduled for Q2:

Here's an example of the content we might include in each task. This one was more detailed due to the many steps involved:

A sample of the tasks and sub-tasks. Some of the other sub-tasks would have the details/quotes from the arborists attached so it was all here in one place.

Frequency of Reviewing

I review this board monthly, with a calendar reminder to check the home board and my OKRs. My husband and I decide on big projects for the year, but he uses the board less frequently than I do.

Tooling Requirements

Free
Board view with customizable columns
Visible priority labels
Sub-tasks for each item
Movable items on the board
List/board sharing
Completed items remain in the same column
Import existing content

Tools Tested and Currently in Use

Asana's board view works well, keeping closed tasks in their original columns, which helps with planning for the next quarter/year. We tried ClickUp, but it quickly exceeded the 100MB free storage limit and required additional labeling to track completed tasks by quarter, which was too time-consuming.

Daily To Dos

These are the daily things that need to get done and MAY be part of the bigger projects.

Organization of To Dos

Near Phone: Add to a generic list for later organization.
Not Near Phone/Computer: Write down anywhere and keep on my desk.
Driving: Use hands-free voice notes/memos.
Evening: Enter all notes into the tracking tool with due dates to avoid losing them.
Due Dates: Set for future review to avoid long, unreviewed lists.
Short To-Dos (<15 mins): Complete immediately or assign a due date.
Longer To-Dos: Block time in the calendar for completion.
- Example: Schedule kids' clothing returns, optimize store route, and ensure receipts are in order the day before.

Frequency of Review

Weekly Planning: Plan the upcoming week on Sunday, scheduling tasks around family and kids' activities.
Daily Revision: Each evening, revise the next day's activities and tasks after the kids are in bed.
Longer-Term To Dos: Review as due dates approach, adjust timelines, or closeout if no longer relevant.
Improvement Goals: Exploring the "Getting Things Done" framework for more meaningful task management and review, currently a work in progress.

Tooling Requirements

Immediate List Creation: Ability to create lists visible on homepage without immediate categorization.
List Sharing: Capability to share lists.
Mobile-Friendly: Optimized for mobile use.
- Smooth Scrolling: Long lists should scroll smoothly without task re-opening.
- One-Click Open/Closed: Quick toggle for task status.
- Real-Time Updates: Instant task status changes reflected in correct columns.
Versatility: Ability to create lists, boards, and documents with tables.
Integration: Ideally, unified functionality for tasks, projects, and major tasks.

Tools Tested and Currently in Use

Currently using Asana temporarily, as neither Asana nor ClickUp meet mobile-friendly needs. Superlist has usability issues, primarily with list sharing. Considering trying Todosit next.

Any suggestions or tips on optimizing current tools or trying new apps would be appreciated!

Shopping Lists

Let's face it, we usually buy the SAME things from the SAME store when it comes to groceries and household stuff. The need to make a different list every time we go to a store is time-consuming!

Organization of Shopping Lists

Regular grocery and household items on a shopping list app to save time making repetitive lists.
For one-off items like furniture from specific stores (e.g., IKEA), we use the store's app or login directly - if we don't have time, then we add it to the shopping list app and then move it to the store's app using the login.

Frequency of Review

We add items to the shopping list app as we remember or into a store cart. I also track grocery items on a whiteboard that's on the on the fridge when I'm not near my phone.

Tooling Requirements

Must-Have Features:
- Free
- Re-open items as needed without creating new lists
- Visible closed items with no clicks required for easy re-opening
- List sharing
- Mobile-friendly with smooth scrolling
- - One-click open/close functionality
  - Immediate state changes reflected correctly
Nice-to-have:
- Integration with voice assistant

Tools Tested and Currently in Use

Tried Asana and ClickUp, found them clunky on both Android and iPhone. Experimented with "Bring" app but found closed list items limited to the most recent, despite loyalty card integration and voice assistant support. Currently testing Listonic, which meets essential requirements, though less sophisticated than Bring.

Notes

Notes are essential for researching or discussing major tasks and projects, such as summer camps or planting trees. I create documents to capture relevant information, including review links, which may be linked to specific projects or to-do items. Currently using ClickUp's notes functionality, which is effective but could be more organized.

Email Management

We manage several types of GMail accounts:

Personal: Used for personal correspondence and invites.
Shared for Kids: For kids' sign-ups and school-related emails.
Shared for Home: Handles quotes, bills, and insurance matters.
Spam: Receives newsletters and online store orders.

Currently, I oversee the shared accounts. If my husband reads an email before me, he marks it unread again to ensure we both stay informed.

Calendar Management

My husband and I rely heavily on our calendars—I've been using them since Grade 5! Out of our multiple Google Accounts, we only use two for managing our calendars.

Personal Account:

Individual, kids, and home appointments with both as invitees.
Tracking birthdays and anniversaries.
Personal time blocks for tasks, not shared with my husband.

Shared for Home Account:

Weekly chores like recycling, garbage, and changing bed sheets, visible to both through the "Tasks" feature. Mark tasks completed when finished.

We use Google Calendar for seamless coordination and organization.

Messaging

During the day, if face-to-face communication isn't possible, we use Signal. We previously used Slack extensively but reduced usage when the free version limited content retention to 3 months.

Document and Password Storage

Document Storage:

Folders Setup: Organized for each house, kid, and personal use.
Sync.com: Used for secure document storage and sharing (free version). Examples: Sharing a document with my child's personal information will be sent as a secure link instead of through email.
Office 365: Paid family subscription used for extensive document management and storage, especially when using Office365 tools - this subscription gives us 1TB of data storage compared to Google's 15GB (free storage).

Password Storage:

1Password: Paid subscription used for secure password management.
- Multiple Vaults: Different vaults for various purposes (houses, individuals, etc.).
- Security Measures: Personal email and banking passwords not stored in 1Password to mitigate risks to bank accounts and investments in case of security vulnerabilities.

Tracking Quotes and Pricing

To effectively manage quotes and pricing, we use Google Sheets for easy access and sharing with family and friends. For example, when researching a new AC during a heat wave, we compiled detailed information and shared it with 5-6 people interested in similar products in our area. Compared to Office 365, Google Sheets provides a more straightforward framework for sharing and collaboration.

An example of AC Replacement Pricing and Quotes sheet

Other Areas We Have Systems Setup

Rental House with Long-Term Tenants
Car: Maintenance, research, etc.
Parents' Affairs: Retirement planning, selling assets (car, home, etc.)
Personal Development: Books, courses, activities to pursue
Travel:Trip planning, pre-trip purchases, updates for people/things, plant watering assistance

Things We Will be Looking Into in the Future

In the future, we're exploring:

Consolidating Tools: Task Tracking and To Dos to be within the same tool. Document storage and quotes pricing/tracking to be in the same tool.
Recipe Repository and Meal Planner
Garden Log: Tracking vegetation planting, fertilizer, composting, and garden tasks.
Expense Management: Improving tracking and management of investments and finances.
"Getting Things Done" Framework: Exploring David Allen's GTD philosophy to enhance organization and productivity in daily life.

If you have ideas for the items mentioned or other useful tracking methods, please share them! Also, feel free to suggest any specific areas you'd like me to cover in more detail. Your feedback is valuable!