Routines, To-Dos and Checklists…Oh My!
The final part of the SPACE organizing method is “E” for Evaluate. The truth is, now that you have organized your space, you will still have to do occasional tidying in order to keep it organized long term. I can almost hear the collective groan now. Let me reassure you, evaluating your space and making some small tweaks in order is accommodate new things coming into your home or adjusting systems that are not working will not take very long at all. I recommend working organizing maintenance into your regular cleaning schedule.
When I first starting doing the whole “adult” thing, I never had a cleaning schedule. I cleaned things when they looked dirty, and usually, I didn’t clean very often or well, unless I knew someone was coming over. When company was coming over, look out, though—I went on a rampage cleaning and hiding clutter everywhere while screaming like some sort of she-beast. It would literally take me days to get the house ready for guests. Here is some house cleaning wisdom I have discovered along the way; if you wait until your home already looks dirty to clean it, you’ve waited too long.
The good news is, now that your home is organized, it will only take a fraction of the time to clean and tidy it. Even the most organized homes will still get messy from time to time. Just like your car needs regular maintenance to run efficiently and stay in good working condition, your home requires regular maintenance as well. I’m not just talking about emptying out the gutters or caulking around the windows, either; the best way to maintain your home is with good old soap and water. Home maintenance includes both regular cleaning as well as small repairs and preventative work. Unfortunately, our homes do not come with instruction manuals explaining exactly what we need to do in order to take care of it properly. Fortunately for you, I’m going to share some simple ways you can not only keep your home clean and tidy on a daily basis, but also keep it in tip-top shape for years to come.
There is one undeniable truth I have learned about life in my almost forty years on this planet: becoming good at something requires practice. I’m not a fan of practicing anything and I never have been. I get bored easily, and I’m convinced I have an actual allergic response to hard work. When I was young, our school had an annual talent show a bunch of my friends and classmates would partake in. Kids danced or sang or played the piano to my utter amazement. I, on the other hand, had zero talents to share. There had never been anything in my life I enjoyed doing enough to warrant doing it over and over again, except, of course, watching television.
Even as a young adult, I remained under the impression I was just born terrible at everything. Forget playing an instrument or a sport; I could barely manage the whole basic-necessities-of-life stuff. I couldn’t cook, clean my house or manage my money, and I had pretty much just chalked this up to the fact that I just wasn’t good at that stuff. While it is true people are born with some natural ability in different areas, for the most part, practice and self-discipline are the keys to success.
If you, like me, struggle to keep your house clean, let me assure you: we can fake it ’til we make it, especially in the housework department. What I have discovered is that you can train your self-discipline muscle, and overtime, it will grow stronger and easier to use. The best way to train yourself? Committing to doing one small change in your life at the same time, each and every day. Whether that small change is a daily walk, playing an instrument, or spending a few minutes cleaning your house, with a little practice each and every day, this new addition to your life will become easier, and it can even become something you are really great at.
They say that it only takes thirty days of repeating a new behavior in order for it to become a habit. They also say, a little bit of motivation gets you started, but habit is what keeps you going. I’m not sure who “they” are, but I’m pretty sure that “they” are onto something here. I spent the first thirty years or so of my life making a habit out of being messy; thankfully, it only took thirty days of effort to create new habits that keep my home clean.
For me, it was just one new behavior that transformed my home from messy to clean literally overnight: my Nightly Cleaning Routine. I created a checklist of small chores that needed to be done each and every night, and I made sure I did the tasks on the checklist, no matter what. To keep me motivated, I had to make sure the chores took no longer than twenty minutes to complete, and no matter how tired or busy I may have been, I never went to bed without completing my nightly routine.
In the beginning, I had to force myself to do this every day. I have three small children, and as soon as they are in bed, the last thing I want to do is more housework. What I want to do is enjoy every single second of “Mommy alone time,” but putting off those quick chores only creates even more work for me the next day. Getting myself to do anything I don’t want to do requires a lot of inner nagging and bargaining. I basically have to parent myself. Just like I put on my mean Mom face and make my kids do their chores/homework before they can watch television or play, I parent myself the same exact way. Before I allow myself to watch Netflix, craft, or have a bedtime snack, I force myself to do my nightly chores first.
So here is my Nightly Cleaning Checklist. Your routine may look different, but no matter what your living situation is, everyone needs a nightly routine in order to make having a clean and tidy home practically effortless.
This simple list of daily chores had a huge impact on my home and my life. Waking up every morning to a clean house always feels so much better than waking up to a messy one. It really does set the tone for my entire day, and I feel happy and energized instead of overwhelmed and exhausted. I also find it so much easier to fall asleep at night, just knowing I’ve accomplished a little something and knowing I’ll be waking up to a fresh and clean start the next day. The best part is because I do a little bit every night, my home never really gets overrun with clutter or grime anymore. These few minutes I spend each night save me hours of scrubbing in the long run.
The trick to having an effective routine and checklist is, of course, to write it down. There is something so motivating about checking items off a list, and just the simple act of creating a list makes you much more likely to accomplish your goals. To-do lists and checklists are hands down the best tool to motivate you and keep you on track, no matter what the goal is you are working towards.
So grab a piece of paper (or use some new fangled technology, like your phone) and create your nightly cleaning checklist right now! Make sure you only pick a few chores you would like to get done, and make sure your routine won’t take you more than twenty minutes to complete. Make it a family routine and you can save even more time every day! Once your Nightly Cleaning Routine becomes a habit, it is time to create a twenty minute Morning Cleaning Routine as well. Here is mine:
Yeah, it is pretty underwhelming, I know. It also doesn’t have the same life-changing impact my nightly routine does, but it still makes a big difference to my day. When I take the time to make my bed (which really can be done in less than two minutes), I feel a boost of energy and motivation. Not only that, but my bedroom always looks so much better, so I’m way less likely to toss dirty clothes on the floor or leave other random junk on my bed during the day. It is a small effort with big rewards. The best part is how much nicer and more relaxing it feels to climb into a made bed at the end of a long day.
If you’re not a bed maker, you are probably rolling your eyes right about now. I get it, I do. I used to belong to the why-make-the-bed-when-you-are-just-going-to-get-back-in-it-at-night club. It’s just one of those “try it and you’ll see the difference” kind of things you have to discover for yourself. Go ahead and create your own Morning Cleaning Routine, but no matter how rushed your mornings are, be sure to include making your bed.