“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A.A. MILNE
My hope for you is that you’ll make it through all 21 days of projects. None of the projects are complicated or difficult, but unless you have a plan that you talk about and agree upon with your spouse, life will get in the way of your best intentions.
Communication—A Great Way to Save You from Misunderstandings (and Potential Public Embarrassment)
Several years ago, I visited a church where it was evident that when it came to synergy in the Sunday morning worship service, this team had it down. After an amazing time of worship through music, we were spellbound by a pastor who was a gifted preacher. His sermon was all about how a shepherd has to watch his sheep closely because, left to their own devices, sheep can get into a whole mess of trouble. Throughout the sermon, the pastor kept talking about just how cosmically dumb sheep are, providing great illustrations along the way. The beginning worship was great, the sermon was great. And then it happened.
At the end of the sermon, it was time to respond in worship with some singing. The selected hymn? “Lamb of God.” (No, I’m not kidding.)
It’s obvious what had happened. The pastor told the worship director his sermon topic; it was going to be about sheep. Worship director thinks, Hmmmm, sheep…lamb…I know, “Lamb of God”!
Everyone had the best of intentions, but it wasn’t the worshipful moment I’m sure the leadership team intended.
Planning for Success
I want you to have success with Happy Habits for Every Couple, which is why it’s critical that you and your spouse carve out a week specifically for creating a plan for each project. (Yes, an entire week so you have enough time to make plans that sizzle, not just fulfill the project.)
Here’s a checklist of things to think about as you prep for the projects:
Prep Week Checklist
• Have we put the Major Projects on the calendar?
• Have we put the Bonus Projects on the calendar?
• Have we looked at our individual calendars and our family calendar to see what obstacles may come up?
• Do we need to plan for babysitters for the Major Projects or Bonus Projects?
• Have the guys gotten together to plan the double date?
• Is there a special treat I want to buy or order off the Internet for one of the projects?
• Do we need to make reservations for one of the Major Projects?
By investing your time on the front end, you’ll have a plan that you both agree upon, which will reduce fighting and crossed expectations (a win for everyone) and give you a much greater chance for satisfaction and success.