Today was the first day to use my new chart. For today, it was actually fun and very satisfying to make little blue Xs down the list. It definitely kept me on track and kept me from forgetting anything.
We’ll see how long it takes before I lose the list, can’t find a pen, or just plain start ignoring it.
Today I:
Made bed.
Emptied dishwasher.
Loaded dishwasher and cleaned up kitchen.
Swept kitchen.
Did a focused 5 minute pickup.
Ran 2 loads of laundry. (still not caught up on the completion part of it)
Checked bathrooms for clutter. (see self-loathing below)
Hung up and put away clothes in master bedroom.
Last night I:
Wiped down bathrooms. (Did this before home groups. Doing it again before bed would just be crazy.)
Put out clothes.
Made lunches.
Checked laundry and put in the dryer.
Cleaned up kitchen and ran dishwasher.
Now for the self-loathing. That’s probably a little harsh, but I am extremely irritated at myself. I’ve been posting my daily checklists for a while now, and evidently for the last who-knows-how-long I’ve been only checking for clutter in the kids’ bathroom and in the guest bath. I think I’ve been telling myself that the master bath “is probably fine.”
It wasn’t.
It wasn’t as bad as it has been at certain points in the past, but that really isn’t saying much. The fact that I didn’t have to raise my knees to my chest and hold on to the counters to keep my balance to get through it, doesn’t mean it’s fine. I’ve been picking up dirty clothes, but my eyes conveniently have adjusted to the other clutter. So today, having to actually put a blue mark on a real piece of paper, I looked at it. And I picked up. And it looks fabulous (comparatively). And it took about 10 minutes.
Grrr.
Laury Kossoff says
Could you post your actual checklist so we can use ourselves? This is a great idea and I made my own a few years ago when I was doing fly lady. I want to get back into it.
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Aggie Mom says
I started reading your blog 2-3 days ago but first saw your check list… I wondered how long you'd take to figure it out to write stuff down so you wouldn't forget. 🙂
Additionally, I thought when you'd figure out to have the kids pick up their own dirty underwear.
I am busy reading (and thouroughly enjoying it!) so I've ignored my own slobby clutter BUT I did pick up the trash that landed BESIDE the trash can that has been there for over a week 🙂 *and* I made my bed this morning!
Thanks for the ideas, your story and motivation!
Candice says
not sure if you do this or not… but i taped mine on the OUTSIDE of one of my kitchen cabinets.. i can always see it… i dont even care if others see it.. so what if they realize how often i clean.. good for them… ( that and apparently cleaning issues is common with army wives?! they are always looking for housekeepers!) also i started a blog similar to yours so i can mentally and phsyically write it down.. dont plan to share it or link it to things but its a great way to write about your day to day doings.. ty i never thought about it before you! ( and yes i made a credit and link to your blog on it!
Jeanine says
I’m a bit confused. What’s the difference between the nightly clean kitchen and the morning clean kitchen? If you clean it at night, why do you need to clean it in the morning?
Dana White says
That was really hard for me to grasp at first. For us, though, the kitchen gets “slightly” messy after our morning routine of coffee and breakfast. Comparatively, it’s not bad at all. However, I’ve finally grasped that the 2 minutes it takes to put things away and wipe down counters in the morning significantly decreases the amount of time required to clean the kitchen that night. I talk a lot about that concept in my e-book (written long after this post!) 28 Days to Hope for Your Home.
Michele says
Another time traveler from a distant galaxy!
I love this blog — perfect for those of us who get sidetracked between steps.
Here’s what I’ve learned about projects, including laundry:
There are SEVERAL STEPS to DO LAUNDRY —
1. Sort and load washer
2. Run washer
3. Transfer to dryer and start it
4. Take dry clothes out and sort/fold
5. Put clothes away in each designated space/room
6. Put baskets etc back so they’re ready for next time
You may have expanded your list already, so apologies for being redundant…
On your LIST, identify each step as its own task instead of lumping them into one that’s only sort of done. Yes, it makes the list physically longer, but takes away the indecision about whether something is “done”
How do I know? Lots of missed steps in a convoluted work situation, and frustration after retirement when I seemed to spin my wheels.
It works for menu planning (which I’m just finally starting to do in my life) —
1. What’s going on each day this week?
2. Any clue what sounds good to eat?
3. What’s in the house and NEEDS TO BE EATEN soon (and by what date)?
4. What can I make — and will actually eat — with this food?
5. Do I need anything else to make it happen?
6. When am I going to cook?
I’m not a compulsive person. I’m highly distractible. If I don’t take the time to think it out, we eat sandwiches and junk food. And I’m left wondering why I blew it again.
I’m excited to read more. Today, I thoroughly cleaned my bathtub/shower. Four more deep cleanings, and it’ll start looking like it should. I’ve been thinking about doing it and all the reasons why “this” wasn’t the right time. For many months … today I just did it. After I made my bed. LOL.
Sorry this is so long. You’ve lit the spark I’ve desperately needed.