Collaborating on Our Sustainability Plan

My husband Dave and I have a goal to make our property self-sustaining. In our efforts to create sustainability, we’ve planted a fruit and nut orchard. We have one garden space close to our house and another one out in the field where the soil is better. The process of landscaping and gardening and working on our property is daunting at times. It’s easy to forget where you are when you have a huge project that is impacted by weather and seasons. Certain tasks must be done at certain times. If you miss your window, you could be waiting another year to implement.

Using a Master List

In February, I had the idea to create a master list of everything we need to be doing on the property. It’s a Google Doc spreadsheet sorted by the date items need to be done. We assign tasks to either Dave or me or both of us. We’ve been working through this list (which currently has 84 items on it at various stages of completion).

Sunday we looked at the list and discovered we had about 27 things done. I had barely been looking at the list before this. I had not made any concerted effort to do a lot on this list. Don’t get me wrong, we were working on things, we were just primarily doing it from memory and rather haphazardly. Dave would periodically come in and check things off and he kept a better eye on the list than I did.

Plan Your Weeks and Days

Sunday night we reviewed what could or should be completed in the coming week, I jotted in my journal what I need to work on by myself or with Dave. Each day this week, I’m picking items from the week’s list and putting them on my daily to-do list at the top of my daily journal entry.

Monday, for example, I had a full day to work outside. This is what I completed:

• I planted tomatoes, peppers and some dill in pots.
• I worked the soil around our bird bath and planted wildflowers (Dave helped me some after he got off work.)
• We planted wildflowers around the great oak which we call The Old Woman of the Woods.
• We cleared an overgrown spot behind our upper garden so that we can use it for growing pumpkins and butternut squash.
• As a bonus, we received a huge load of woodchips for our field garden!

Increased Productivity and Collaboration

This process of having a master list and choosing from it to create a weekly list and daily lists keeps me from wasting time wondering what I’m supposed to be doing or floundering with unimportant activities. Coordinating together has made us incredibly productive. Currently, Dave is working a full-time contract from home. By having this system in place, we’ve been incredibly productive. I think we may actually be more productive than we were when he wasn’t working fulltime. At least I’m more productive. He’s the energizer bunny, always working on something. Using the master list and implementing it daily is showing me the power of focus.

When Dave takes his lunch break, I take mine with him and we use it for catching up. Sometimes we’ll do a small project on the property together. After he gets off work, he likes to work outside. I’ll work with him if I’m not going to my weekly pottery class or busy with other commitments.

As an aside: Yesterday (Wednesday) was gorgeous and I really wanted to work outside with Dave, but I was asked to speak in a family history workshop at church. I talked about my 4th great grandmother, Dicey Langston, a Revolutionary War Heroine. I also discovered via RelativeFinder.org that I am the 10th Great Granddaughter of Pocahontas! So, I think that was worth missing an evening in the garden!

In the video below, you’ll see the item from our master list about clearing the overgrown spot behind our upper garden. This patch was full of tangled honeysuckle vines and crownbeard stems. The task had been weighing on Dave’s mind for quite a while. He felt like it was going to be a really daunting job.

I got out there with some clippers and snipped the vines enough to pick them up and tossed them out of the way. We moved any rocks we saw. Then Dave put the lawnmower on the high setting and mowed over the area. I think we spent about 30 minutes, tops, on it. It was so much simpler than we thought. Having this project on our list so we were motivated to do the job, and working on it together, made all the difference.

Tuesday night when I was at pottery class Dave moved the green house over in the space. We will be starting our butternut and pumpkins inside the greenhouse and then removing the plastic once warm weather arrives. The plants can then sprawl over the area we’ve cleared. We’ll probably also put some potted tomato and pepper plants inside the greenhouse for a while before transplanting them to the garden.

Managing Daunting Tasks

Do you have a big project with lots of moving parts and deadlines? Try creating a dated master list. Collaborate with others involved and get on the same page with weekly and even daily check-ins. Taking a couple minutes each day to review with your spouse or teammates will keep you focused.

Journaling Your Day

Use a journal or to-do list to plan and document your project. In the morning, I write in my journal my tasks for the day. Then as the day goes by, I make notes in my journal and check things off. I try not to put too many things on my list so I don’t get overwhelmed. If I finish everything and have more time, I go to the weekly list and pick something from there.

At the end of the day, I summarize how things went and document any insights. I also include 3 blessings from the day.

I’ve found it helpful at the end of the day to go ahead and start my to-do list for the next day at the top of the next day’s entry. I prayerfully check-in and see what feels right for the next day. Often, I take any uncompleted tasks from the day and carry them to the next day.

By making tomorrow’s list in the evening, I remember what I’m working on. I jot things down while they’re clear in my mind. It also keeps me from waking up in the middle of the night thinking about my next day’s to-do list. This process of journaling at the end of the day adds closure to my day and a greater sense of accomplishment. It’s a time to celebrate my progress.

If you try this Master List method, I’d love to hear how it works for you! Did this give you any ideas for your projects? If so, please comment below and share what you will do.