I’ve been thinking a lot about this one. Like I’ve said the last two weeks, it is difficult to not want to add 5 new things a week. But taking it slowly is working so far. I don’t want to mess with what’s working.
Two weeks ago I added sweeping the kitchen daily as a non-negotiable. Last week I added picking “stuff” up off the bathroom floors. Both of those are very small tasks but have made a real impact.
I assumed last week that I would add another bathroom task this week. I would like to add Flylady’s Swish and Swipe concept to my daily routine. I know that this is key to really keeping the house always non-gross.
But I’m not adding that yet. I worked so hard last week to get the house company-ready and I want to add something that will help me really get the benefit of the head start. I always think I’ll keep it up after a big cleaning kick, but then life happens and I look around one day and my house is a complete wreck.
I have decided to make a 5 minute pickup my new non-negotiable. I was stressing a few days ago when I knew that I needed to do this but couldn’t figure out a time for it. I would love to be like some of my organized friends who naturally think to have their kids pick up before bed. I know that at some point I need to have a list of before bed non-negotiables. Right now, there are things I’m trying to do every evening, but some days they don’t happen.
My other non-negotiables have worked because I sit down to write on this blog around noon or 1:00. That makes me think. It makes me realize that I have or haven’t done all the non-negotiables, and then I go do them. So I decided to get over the timing roadblock. I’m just saying that I’m going to spend five minutes a day doing an overall pickup, primarily in the living room. It doesn’t matter what time of day I do it, as long as I do it. Although there might be a certain time that would be best, it just needs to be done. Five minutes in the middle of the day is better than never.
This blog is my personal accountability system as I develop these habits. I have to do what works.
“I have to do what works.” As a lifelong-but-recently-reformed Messie, this is my mantra. Organizational methods are absolutely NOT ‘one size fits all’, and I find the best systems are those that I take a few days to think about (‘What do we do in this space? How can I make it easier to do that here?’) that work best for me. I have actually gotten to the point that I ENJOY the challenge of finding a creative way to address the clutter/cleanliness problem!
(Wow…it’s sort of amazing that I’ve just said that!) 🙂
By the way, I just started reading a few days ago and am working my way through your blog to find inspiration for the things that I really bulk on when it comes to ‘coming clean’. Thank you for putting into words so many of the things I’ve struggled with over the years!
Dana, your blog is such an encouragement to me. I am learning new habits, and trying to break my old ones of feeling so overwhelmed, that nothing gets done. I have the daily task written down, and when I get home tonight, I’m going to start on them! 🙂
(also the swish and swipe sounds like it will be good a thing to include in bathroom cleanup, at the same time, I dread it as my toilet around the sink is bad!)