At Family OS, we believe that intentionality and effective communication are crucial to maintaining a joyful and harmonious home life. One of the most impactful tools we've discovered is the concept of a "parking lot" for discussions. This simple strategy has significantly improved our interactions and brought more joy into our home. Here's how it worked for us:

1. We Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

We realized that bringing up minor issues in the moment often disrupted our happiness. For example, we could be having a wonderful evening, but mentioning a small annoyance or figuring out a scheduling conflict could quickly kill the vibes inside the house.

• Discipline to Delay: Instead of addressing these minor issues immediately, we now write them down and discuss them during our weekly connect time.
• Perspective: Over 90% of the time, we find that these small issues aren't as important as they seemed initially. Often, we don’t even need to discuss them anymore.

2. We Have the Right Conversations at the Right Time

By using our Parking Lot^© strategy (click above to download ⬆️),we've become more deliberate about when and how we address important topics.

• Thoughtful Approach: Most issues are added to our Parking Lot^© instead of being discussed immediately. This allows us to be more thoughtful in our approach and gives the other person time to prepare.
• Prioritizing Discussions: We review the list and decide whether to discuss an issue now, soon, or much later. This helps us avoid discussions when we aren't emotionally prepared.

   Real-Life Applications

• Big Decisions: We've successfully navigated significant decisions, such as fertility treatments, relationships with specific people, and financial decisions, by delaying conversations until we are ready.
• Taking Time for Clarity: Sometimes, after going in circles for weeks, one of us suggests taking a break to pray or think about the issue for a set period. This break often helps us align our thoughts and emotions.

3.  Fully Engaged

Another benefit of our Parking Lot^© approach is making sure that both of us were fully engaged in the conversation. We found that if one person had lots of energy around a particular topic and another didn’t, the conversation didn't seem to go as well. . By not diving into every issue immediately, we prevent being distracted.

• Reducing Stress: We avoid the stress of constant problem-solving, which helps keep our home environment calm and positive.
• Improved Communication:  This approach has strengthened our relationship as we handle discussions more maturely and thoughtfully.

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Implementing an effective Parking Lot^© for discussions has been transformative for our family. It helps us maintain joy by not sweating the small stuff, having the right conversations at the right time, and being fully engaged during conversations.

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At Family OS, we're here to support you in bringing the same focus and purpose to your home life as you do in your career. Check out our tools for intentional leadership at the home by clicking here, or come to a launch event to learn more about The Family OS Journey.

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