Today, I want you to think about your preferred method of getting things done. In other words, do you prefer to work by a schedule or routine?

A schedule is “a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of intended events and times.” A routine is defined as “a sequence of actions regularly followed.” The main difference between the two is that a schedule is dictated by the time. In contrast, a routine is timeless – able to be done at any time. When you use a schedule or a routine, it may vary throughout the day or week.

Believe it or not, understanding which method you use is really important, especially as we continue. Let me give you some examples from our home:

Meal Times – Schedule: Breakfast at 6:30, Lunch at 1:00, and Dinner at 8:00.

Morning Chores – Routine: 1. Get dressed; 2. Make your bed; 3. Clean your room; 4. Brush your hair and teeth; 5. Take the dirty laundry to the laundry room.

Assigned Tasks – Schedule and Routine: Schedule the day of the week when specific tasks get completed, i.e., laundry on Monday; routine because it doesn’t matter what time it starts or gets finished, so long as it gets done.

As you plan your days, you must know how you want to prepare them: schedules, routines, or a blend, like me. Someone who does not abide well by a schedule and finds it frustrating would be better suited to setting up routines. To successfully manage your home, you need to develop systems that will work with you and your personality – not against you. That being said, however, there is one other consideration we must make – your spouse.

We all know that opposites attract, so there is an excellent chance that you are a scheduler and your spouse is not, or the reverse is true. If your spouse is the scheduler in the family, and you are not, managing your home may be a bit more challenging. Your spouse will likely prefer having things done consistency every day or week and show some irritability with inconsistency. Carefully consider their natural preferences to maximize peace within your home.

Following is a list of questions I want you to carefully consider from your perspective and that of your spouse. There are no right or wrong answers here, but how you answer these questions will influence how you choose to proceed and implement the suggestions in future posts. It will help you determine if you are a scheduler or a routine type of person.

Do you get up at the same time every day, day in and day out?

Do you get ready to face the day doing the same things, or do you do what you feel like doing to get prepared?

Are you always reasonably presentable, or do you meet unexpected visitors and deliveries in your pajamas with your hair sticking up?

Is breakfast a planned affair with variety, or do you serve and eat the same thing almost daily?

Are you on time for most events, appointments, and meetings, or are you always making an entrance?

Do you clean your house as a form of preventative maintenance, or is it cleaned post-emergency or immediately before the company arrives?

Do you do dishes because there is nothing left to eat on or with, or do you do dishes after each meal?

Do you know what you will make for lunch each day, or do you rummage around to see what you have to prepare?

Do you pack a lunch for work or buy on the fly?

Do you know what food you have in the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry, or is it a vague, sort of known situation, or do you have no idea, and it’s a surprise every day?

Do you do laundry consistently or only when someone complains they are out of something?

What is your perspective on ironing: do it as part of laundry, iron something when needed, avoid ironing at all costs?

Are your afternoons relaxing and calm, or frantic and crazy?

Do you face the dreaded pre-dinner hour with a messy house, screaming kids, and chaos, or is meal preparation done calmly and peacefully?

Do your children follow your example or seem to march to a different drummer?

Is school time or homework time a daily expectation or flexible?

Do you go to bed at about the same time every night, or does it vary significantly (meaning by more than an hour or two)?

If someone were to ask your spouse what you do at home all day, would they be able to respond effectively and positively, or would they laugh and say they had no idea?

When it comes to money, who pays the bills? Is it you, your husband, or jointly decided?

Are the bills paid on time, late, once a month, once a week, or after some service has been disconnected?

You see a fairly straightforward pattern as you consider your answers to the above questions. Are you a scheduler? Do you follow routines? Or do you consistently “fly by the seat of your pants,” so to speak? In future posts, there will be tips for people who like schedules and tips for those that prefer routines. If you don’t know which one you are, I recommend that your default be anything pertaining to routines. You can always add layers to the routines, such as a timed schedule, down the road. The goal is to help you to successfully manage every aspect of your life – not drive you to tears of frustration.

In my cozy corner of the internet, I have found that blending the two leads to a calmer and happier home.