When even the bare minimum feels like too much...
I had a bit of an epiphany lately, by God's grace, about something that I like to teach. In my course, membership, and on YouTube, I've talked about something called a Bare Minimum Blueprint (BMB). This is my name for a minimal home rhythm that helps you get the absolute fundamentals done. Think:
Something to eat - AKA a dinner rhythm
Clothes on people’s backs- a basic laundry rhythm that INCLUDES folding and putting away :)
A room reasonably tidy -just one, maybe two rooms that you and your family can relax in
Basic hygiene- I include home and personal hygiene here. For home, I’m talking about things like a clean bathroom and if allergies are an issue, taking care of dust/sheets in bedrooms, etc.
Oh, and I should add– I typically cook VERY simple meals when I'm scaling back to my BMB. Important side note :)
I encourage people to scale back and use this in especially hard or full seasons, and feel free to let go of other things that aren't absolutely necessary for a time if needed. In my opinion, having a plan like this is essential for a homemaker.
But bare minimum doesn't mean easy, and it doesn't mean the day isn't full. So, what about when the BMB feels like too much? Perhaps you're in a position where you don't have a solid rhythm for getting dinner on the table without the 5:30 panic, or the laundry monster is notorious for gobbling up your floor or "the chair" in your living room each week. If you know, you know. So what do you do at that point?
This Week's Takeaway
I am 100% a believer in not trying to overhaul a lot of things at once, because that is a sure way to shoot yourself in the foot. Rarely do impulsive, drastic, quick changes last beyond a spark of inspiration.
That is why it's important to keep the long view in mind, and to take one very intentional step at a time. This is a process for all of us!
In my method, I use the BMB as a very important and foundational piece of an overall home management system. But if "scaling back" to a BMB is more like scaling up, I want to help set you up for success here. Because getting to the point of having a foundation like this that is attainable can be a real blessing to the home.
So here is what I would encourage you to do:
Keep the BMB as the short-term goal. Even if you mapped out the whole rhythm and made those decisions, I would not advise trying to apply the whole thing all at once if two or more of those rhythms are new to you. So, map it out. But keep that as the goal that you're aiming towards.
Pick the rhythm that would bring you the most relief, and focus on that one. That doesn't mean don't try to take care of other things in the home (maybe I'm silly to add that disclaimer, but just in case), but be very intentional about the rhythm that stands out as the biggest pain point, or would bring the most relief.
Let's go back to the dinner time rhythm example. If that is the biggest issue, think about why, because if you don't know what is causing the problem, you won't know how to fix it. Is it because you don't have a plan ahead of time? When could you sit down and write out your dinners for the week? Or is it that dinner always gets on the table late and bleeds into the evening? Perhaps you can think about a way to start the process earlier with more margin. Just think through a rhythm that can alleviate the problem, and then do that. Focus on showing up for that and being as consistent as possible (A mantra that helps me with this– try not to miss twice in a row, if possible. If you do miss twice– don't fret, just keep going!).
Only when it becomes familiar and you are fairly consistent, layer in the next thing and repeat the process. Once you work on that rhythm (aka the group of habits) and you get to the point where the rhythm is starting to become second nature and you're not having to think too much about it, it's time to focus on the next rhythm (e.g., maybe the laundry rhythm or hygiene piece).
For anyone who has felt like even this is a lot (which I know is true for SO many!), I hope that this gives you a path forward and is an encouragement to you! Perhaps this will give you an avenue to build this foundation AND build towards having this as something that you can actually say you're scaling back to. It can be SUCH a helpful tool in the toolbox for the homemaker.
We pray for you regularly that the Lord would use things like this to encourage you, spur you on in love and good deeds, and that He would bless your home as a result of the loving and faithful work of your hands.
A Little Glimpse
Our little 7-month-old boy is both mild-mannered and sweet… and VERY active. When on his tummy, he kicks ferociously, as if swimming away from a shark. He learned to roll, and soon started rolling around the floor (And I mean that– from tummy to back, and then keep going). This child is unstoppable!
He is still learning to sit up without support, so I was bumfuzzled when I looked over today and saw him on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth. You guys, once this little guy starts crawling, it's over. Haha. I have a sneaking suspicion that he might one-up my two-year-old (who I always say is a capital T toddler) in keeping me on my toes.
The saga is to be continued…
