Organizing my house one step at a time

by Mama Mabel

I'm getting overwhelmed by how far behind I am on housework.  I've been working late and last week was all about getting Ladybug over being sick.  She's teething big time and requires lots of mommy attention when I'm home.  Not that I wasn't behind before all this happened, I'm just not making progress.  Coondog and I are tired of living in a disorganized mess.  We've both taken small steps but easily fall into thinking that we'll do things "later."  You know, on that magical day when we've had enough sleep and there are no distractions or other obligations.

This morning I did some research on different methods of getting your house organized.  They tend to be geared toward stay at home moms, though not all of them.  They also tend to include things that I don't need (we have no basement for extra storage, no washer and dryer to throw a load in each morning).  However, what resonates most with me is the idea of building good habits, one habit at a time.  Most of the methods I found start with the kitchen which is convenient since that's where I want to start.  While I desperately want my house all cleaned and organized at once, that's unrealistic and wouldn't be maintained since we aren't in the habit of maintaining.  So to get on track, each week I'm going to pick a task or two that I have to get done each day before I go to bed.  Once that's become part of my routine, I'll add another.  That way I can manage it.  Additionally, I will pick one project (not 5!) to get done each weekend.  I've learned that I max out at one thing each weekend and then get really stressed that the rest isn't done.  Now, anything more than my one basic goal is a bonus and I can feel good about it.

This week I am going to get all my dishes washed and clean off my countertops.  Since every dish I own is dirty right now, it'll probably take me a few nights to catch up.  So each evening, I will wash one plastic tub full of dishes and have them put away before I go to work the next morning.  That way, they can dry overnight if needed.  Once they're caught up, I will keep them caught up.  As I'm putting dishes up, I will clear off my countertops and keep it that way.  That's all I will expect of myself.  By Friday, I'll know what my weekend goal should be.  And since I will enter the weekend with a sense of accomplishment over having clean dishes and a clear countertop, I'll be much more likely to meet my weekend goal.  The positive cycle is about to begin!