Not so very long ago, every day had an assigned focus. Monday was wash day, followed on Tuesday by ironing. Wednesday was set aside for mending and sewing, Thursday for going to market, and Friday for cleaning. Saturday meant time to bake, with Sunday, of course, a day of rest.

This housekeeping schedule (and its alternate versions) comes to us as a time-honored organizing method. However, the advent of the washing machine, permanent press, and mass-produced clothing changed the way we manage laundry. We go to the grocery store any day we like (and pick up baked goods there). Sometimes I think of progress as one step forward and two steps back, though. The benefits of line-drying clothes and simple joy of sewing are unknown to many. Having access to a grocery store so readily often means time wasted on return trips. Baked goods are so perishable that they often contain preservatives. And, with our busy schedules, finding time to rest on Sundays can be a challenge.

It seems to me that we could do with some focus days, nowadays. No, I’m not suggesting we go back to boiling our whites and slaving over the ironing board.  My stated purpose for the Old Bohemian Homestead blog is to bring the best parts of yesteryear forward into today, not regress back to them.

Focus days offer a lot of benefits. There’s a feeling of closure at the completion of a weekly task. Laundry could have a beginning, middle, and end, for example. Scheduling errands for a single weekday makes for efficient use of your time, wear and tear on the car, and less gasoline (aka: money) burned. It also provides more time to spend at home on other days.  Making menus, shopping lists, harvesting and preserving food for the week in a single day is a smart idea. Focus days can include making crafts, working at your desk, gardening, etc.

Even if you work outside the home, including a daily focus in your schedule can help you stay on track, and this technique translates to a work schedule. I organize both my work and home schedules with focus days.

My Weekly Focus Days

As an example, I’ve listed my weekly home focus days:

• Monday: Laundry, Mending, and Ironing (rarely)
• Tuesday: Decluttering and Organizing
• Wednesday: Weekly Menu, Shopping List, Harvesting, and Preserving
• Thursday: Errands and Appointments
• Friday: Household Cleaning
• Saturday: Gardening, Home Maintenance and Improvement
• Sunday: Church, then Visits to Friends and Family, Outings, Handicrafts or Reading

I try to adhere to my focus days schedule as closely as I can, because it helps me get more done in less time. However, I don’t make it into a straight-jacket. Weekends, especially are flexible. If we want to go for a drive, I’ll hang my gardening gloves up until the following week.  My schedule is a tool that serves me rather than vice versa.

Thanks for reading. If you decide to organize with focus days, I’d love to know how you incorporate it into your schedule. Also, if you feel this article would benefit others, please share it.