A Simple 5-Minute Routine to Maximize Your Day

This has been just phenomenal since we implemented it. It’s called the family huddle.

We had a problem: Now that we’re all at home in quarantine—although, personally, we were always at home anyway—can I still get work done?

The Family Huddle: A Simple 5-Minute Routine to Maximize Your Day

To solve it, we implemented this thing every morning called “the family huddle.” What we do is—my wife and I and my daughter Rosie, who’s three (almost four)—every morning at whatever time we’re all up (usually right before or after breakfast), we sit down and I grab a notecard and I write on the top today’s date.

Then I say, “OK, guys. What are we having for breakfast today (if it’s before breakfast)?” Alright—”Breakfast,” “Lunch,” “Dinner”—and we write down what we’re going to have, so we’re intentional about our day. Because it’s really easy to fall into, “I don’t know what to have right now and all the crap and junk food is here.”

Right?

Then, we write “Snack.” We write down an available snack we have to choose from today.

Then, we write down “Dad’s Work Schedule.” And so now I write down what time I work that day and where my breaks are. So then Heather (my wife) can know anytime that day when I’m available. She knows that coming up here shortly, I said I’d be off. That’s when she’s planning lunch—and now I know I’m having soup for lunch—we planned that ahead.

And then, it’s “Work Out.” We write down what time we’re working out that day.

And then, finally, write down just “To-Dos.” This all takes less than two minutes to write this whole entire thing.

We stick it on the fridge every day—a brand new piece of paper. And now we basically have a plan for the day.

And we also, because we’re a religious family, we pray with Rosie in the morning. We usually read a little story out of her bible. And then, we all go about our day.

Now there’s just so much more clarity and peace about the day.

And Heather knows when I’m going to work out. I don’t have to feel bad that I’m going to leave her to go work out for an hour, and she doesn’t feel bad that she asked me to come watch the kids so she can go work out—because I just know she’s working out today at 1:30.

I know that this has been tremendously helpful for us during this quarantine, this family huddle. I encourage people who are working at home to do it, too.

For everyone, it’s been just kind of feeling like it’s that week between Christmas and New Year’s, where no one knows what time is it? What am I wearing? I’m drunk. It’s 9 a.m. Like that feeing.

If we want to get out of that and get normalcy, this is the way to go.

What are you doing to organize and normalize this time in quarantine?

Join the discussion in the comments below.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.