Shared in Cleaning and Organizing
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This morning, I had an early appointment an hour away from home. Getting out of the house was made difficult because of the simple reason... it is Monday. The state of the house on Mondays, here, is frightening. Now, we're going to spend a week cleaning our homes, together. We are not going to deep clean. That will come in another series of posts, perhaps. But, by Friday, I promise your house will be a place you want to relax in. The hardest part of having a clean house is getting there. But, once it is achieved, all that is required is maintenance. The trick, this week and always, is to combine your unexpected and daily job needs with what you wish to accomplish today. And to do this, you absolutely must set realistic goals and create a loose schedule that is possible to achieve. First, go back to your notebook that I asked you to keep. Refer to your listing of rooms. The first ones that you have grouped together will be today's goal. On your next notebook page, you're going to write the day of the week on the first line. Below this, list the other tasks that you MUST face, today. For me, this included my doctor appointment, cleaning the dining room after each meal, washing dishes after each meal, several loads of laundry (including diapers), homeschooling, blanching/chopping/freezing 2 bushels of corn ears, canning 1/2 bushel of cucumber pickles, and paying bills my husband asked me to mail out, tomorrow. Start each work day with NO sugar. It is my own personal experience that sugary breakfasts make you tired and lazy. We want you to feel energized and meet your goals for the day! Eat foods in as natural a state as possible. And, no matter what happens, STAY busy after your work begins. Do not allow yourself to slow down until you're through. The moment you allow yourself to do so, your energy will plummet and your will to continue will crumble. Most importantly, remember that any interruptions that occur are allowed by God. There may be blessing in them... for you or others. Don't let yourself feel frustrated or upset by them! Tasks have a way of waiting until you can get to them. Don't worry! If your children are older, you can delegate some of your tasks. For me, I have a "dishwasher/kitchen keeper" in my 14 year old; a "dining room attendant" in my 17 year old and a "floater" (doing various jobs, as needed) in my 11 year old. This, right here, reduces my task load considerably. If you have small children, keep them with you! There are always things you can assign for them to do alongside you. Your work might last longer, but you will be able to ensure that they do not wander and get into mischief. And, you'll be fostering wonderful memories of time with Mom, as well! All the time you spend, now, cleaning with your youngsters... will produce children who aren't afraid to work, later! Turn your notebook page, yet again. List: MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING ... leaving ample space after each. Now, under each heading, plan out how you will tackle each necessary task. Order it accordingly. For example, my schedule looks like this: MORNING: AFTERNOON: Normally, we would wash the dining room floor, today, also. But there is already so much squished into our evening, that this won't be possible. It is a job that will "keep" until tomorrow. Before I crawl into bed, tonight, my three lower rooms will be completely tidied. I will be greeted, come morning, by a clean sight. Not one of chaos. And things will smell generally fresh. This definitely helps a person face a new day with renewed vigor! If the rooms you have circled to do are so messy that you're not sure where to start, begin each room with an empty laundry basket and a garbage bag. Throw into it EVERYTHING you do not need. Be reckless. Get rid of those magazines that have just been lying around unread, pitch those newspapers and junk mail. And use the basket to throw EVERYTHING you want to keep, but which requires "travel" through the house to distribute to its proper location. As you move through your scheduled rooms for today, pull out these items and put them away where they go. Don't leave anything in that basket for tomorrow! If something goes into a room that is not on today's schedule, simply drop it off in the correct room. When you go to sleep, tonight, your first rooms will be neat and tidy. If someone should show up unexpectedly, tomorrow morning, you can open your front door wide to them! You might notice that we have not yet touched other rooms such as the bathrooms, the kitchen, etc... Just because we do not have a "focus" on the bathroom or kitchen, or any of the bedrooms or the computer room... doesn't mean it has to be a wreck. However, if one or more of your rooms are a disaster (and you cannot get to it at all, today!), rest assured that it will be tended soon! We're purposely working as we are so that the most "lived in" areas of the house -- and the ones seen first by visitors -- are alright. I'll see you, tomorrow. We're going to get our houses in tip-top condition! |
Thoughts
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Shared by Anonymous 
