My house is a chaotic mess. My dishes are never done, my laundry is piled in the hallway, my kids have runny noses and long, dirty fingernails. My kids watch too much television and I drink too much wine and not quite enough coffee. I never go to the gym and spend way too much time and money online. My husband is neglected and my house plants are dead. My important papers are piled haphazardly in a bin in the closet and I can never find anything I need. I am forever buying new stuff because I can't find the three or four I already have: flashlights, umbrellas, stewed tomatoes, gloves, sunglasses, batteries, whiteout, blank cd's.....
Enough is enough! The new year is coming and I'm considering a radical resolution: To boldly impose order where none has existed before. Trouble is, I have no idea how to go about it. Oh, I've read all the organization books and checked out flylady and all the rest, but nothing has ever helped for long. But this time, it's different. I mean it this time. Really.
So here's where you come in: I need some help! If you can walk through your house without a Lego injury, if you aren't able to collect enough earwax from your kids to start a bonfire, if you can put your hands on your will within five minutes, give me some tips! If not, wanna come over for some wine? Any night is good for me.
Anonymous, guest blogger
5 comments:
I heard a rumor that you should never go from one room to another empty handed. This helps me keep at least some of the items in the place they belong.
I like the 'handle it once' rule for mail, paper and emails: look at it and decide right away what to do with it, and then do it (file, toss or act on it). Keeps the junk from piling up. Sometimes.
I'm no expert, but I like these hints:
1. You can do anything for 20 minutes. Anything. Therefore, clean without distraction for 20 minutes. Another day or hour, repeat action. It adds up.
2. Clean in a clockwise (or counterclockwise) direction. Thus you can see your progress, however small. It WILL look different, you will not be discouraged.
Good luck!
Carol
You are not alone. As I was reading this it sounded just like my house. I would also like to change but it is hard to know where to start or how to find the time. Let me know what you come up with and if it helps. A trick that I tried before was to list all my chores on 3 x 5 note cards and then I would ramdomly pick which ones to do. Some had to be done all the time but others it was nice to finish and throw the card out. This actually helped me. I should try it again :) Currently I only have people over on Friday (my ajima day) because that is the only day of the week my house is clean.
Okay, I tried the 20 minute idea, and really liked it! It isn't very long, so it's not overwhelming, but you can get a lot done. I will definitely do that again!
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