Monday (I can’t believe I haven’t posted in two days), I shared that Paula was coming.
She came, and I was ready to open the door and let her walk right in. This . . . is a big deal.
I used my own How to Clean a Messy House Checklist, and today I’ll share how Step Two went.
Step Two: Make a list of rooms, by priority, according to where guests will spend the most time. Also look for tasks in each room that are not covered by normal cleaning.
This list (which has a printable, fill-in-the-blank version over on the full post), was a life-saver.
I know. I personally created the list and the printable, so I’m kind of bragging. But really . . . it’s awesome.
It kept me focused. I tend to get crazy as I’m trying to tackle a huge and daunting job. Distractions happen so easily. Suddenly, my time is gone and I’ve sorted my sock drawer instead of mopping the kitchen floor!
I printed out the worksheet and wrote down the rooms that Paula would see.
I knew she would spend most of her time in my kitchen, so that took the #1 spot. I envisioned sitting together in my dining room, and even though this didn’t happen, we walked through it so I’m glad it was clean.
The living room was a given, and the gameroom needed attention since that’s where the half-bath is. (Y’know, the one bathroom I would actually let her and her friends use.)
And then there was the entryway. I put it at #4 since they’d see it for sure, but wouldn’t necessarily spend time there.
But really, I worked on the entry way before I did ANYthing else.
As my life of irony goes, the weekend before (when I had no idea Paula was coming), I randomly decided to begin tackling a project I’d put off for more than seven years. I half-primed my entryway. So while never-in-a-million-years would I have decided to paint my entryway for Paula, I did feel the need to finish painting it.
And that . . . took most of two days. One day (afternoon) was spent finishing the priming, and the second was spent painting.
Whew.
But in the single day I had to completely devote to my checklist, I was so glad I had it. I can’t tell you how many times I started to drift off into another unnecessary project.
Or I’d find myself staring into space, not knowing what to do next.
I just went back to my list. Again and again.
Step Two is about making decisions. I walk through my home and observe it through my guest’s eyes. I see the ceiling fan dust that didn’t bother me yesterday.
I stop pretending the two inch gap between the top of the backsplash tile and the bottom of the “new” vent (that was installed LAST YEAR) isn’t that noticeable.
Step Two also helps me be realistic about where I need to spend my finite time and energy.
The nitpicky parts of the list are important, but equally important is the prioritization process. By listing rooms in order according to how much time will be spent in them, I shake off that (irrational, but oh-so-real) urge to clean out the linen closet while dirty dishes sit in the kitchen sink.
Stay tuned as I share how I worked through the rest of the steps.
Still wondering who Paula is? I’ll reveal next week.
Hint: It’s not Paula Abdul.
--Nony
I think . . . no, I KNOW that I need to read this blog.
I’m so relieved I’m not the only one who gets weird and irrational cleaning urges (I’ve definitely done the sock drawer thing) when I should be doing more immediate (the dishes). Love your blog!
Oh my gosh… My husband is ALWAYS saying how I should be doing A (cleaning living room floor) instead of B (cleaning sock drawer) and I just thought he never saw my logic! Maybe I just wasn’t seeing what truly was logical. lol I figured the living room would get cleaned some day soon but the *sock drawer* is something I always put off. And I figured it I was in the mood to clean the *sock drawer* just do that. Hmmmm…. you are going to prove my husband right! I can’t admit this to him!!! lol
thank goodness
Finally someone else who’s ceiling fans look like mine (LOL) I seriously thought I was the “only one”
Keep up the good work … you’re fabulous girl
In a pinch, you can always just leave the ceiling fan on!
I just had to leave a note of thanks! I’ve been struggling for years with my house being a disaster. I’ve made various short-lived attempts to make a change,but when my girls started asking if we could clean the house so they could have play dates,I KNEW IT WAS TIME FOR CHANGE. So for two weeks, I’ve carried their voices in my mind and then I found out we may be having unexpected guests for Thanksgiving….more pressure. I started my day today feeling hopeful and ended up accomplishing very little,then about ten minutes ago, I sat down on Pinterest and remembered I had read something by you in the past….all of this to say,I am about to go print out the list you created and get started! Thank you for sharing your struggles and wisdom gained…I don’t feel so alone now and have much more concrete hope for change for my home and more importantly for my family!
Working on my list this weekend.
Prioritizing my to-do list based on the room they’ll actually see and spend time – GENIUS! that one statement made all the difference. Thank you. Again.
Funny I have been doing this for years….I have notebooks with this. For regular cleaning, oh-oh visitors coming, etc. Etc. My husband just rolls his eyes but it’s the only way I can clean without getting distracted Making sure I hit all those important spots 😀
I HAVE to do this. I have ADHD and OCD! Lol I start one thing get sidetracked then start in on that, then realize I need to flip the laundry…..oh might as well make the beds while I’m up here…I’ve had to make lists like this just to make it through a day and be able to say I actually finished something!
Can I buy the books? I don’t know if I can download the books. Please help me!!!
Which books are you talking about, Janice? (And sorry I’m just now responding!) You can buy from the site here and you’ll get an email with download links. Or you can purchase on Amazon for the Kindle (or kindle app).
Dana I’m not sure what a kindle app. is. Can you help? I’m not of the younger age.
I purchased the 28days of hope and Drowning in clutter. I can’t down load them. Jan Erickson
Thank you Dana for your help. I am so impressed with your wiliness to help me.Thank you again. Jan Erickson
I hope it worked!!!