The Power of 10: Facilities Management Made Simpler

by Kathy Peel

Consider this: You oversee no less than 1,095 meals per year -- snacks and parties not included -- which means you've got to think about, shop for and prepare a whole lot of food -- a full plate for anyone. Attending to the seemingly endless details of running a home and family can tax the brain of even the most adept homemaker, so it's important to have a good strategy.

Fortunately, there's more than one way to manage the facilities in a home -- which is a good thing since few moms I know have large blocks of time to accomplish all the work it takes to keep things running smoothly. If you can't see a free day in the next few years, try getting into the "Power of 10" mindset. You'd be surprised how much you can accomplish in 10 minutes, and how many "free" 10-minute snippets of time you can grab here and there.

Granted, you won't finish tasks like unloading the basement of five year's worth of clutter or preparing a month of meals in advance, but you'll make progress a little bit at the time -- enabling you to stay on top of housework and meals.