Have you ever wondered why certain people can keep their house clean all day long? Whenever you stop by their house always seems to be in order. How do they do it? Why is it so easy for some and such a chore for me? I think these people are born with an extra gene called discipline.
They naturally have a routine for life and it makes their home run smoothly. They get up, get dressed, and dig right in to what needs to be done for the day. They plan ahead, defrosting dinner and do a little cleaning each day to keep on top of it. My sister-in-law Dana is this way. I always envy her tidy home.
Then there's people like me. We tend to put things off until it absolutely needs to be done. Why do it today, when it will still be there tomorrow? I tend to be laid back and procrastinate. Through my whole life and especially in the first few years of marriage this was a huge challenge for me. As a kid I could hardly see the carpet in my room. I put off my homework and chores until I was under pressure to get it done before getting yelled at.
I bought my first home when I was 21 and my problem followed me. My townhouse was a mess. Recently my mom admitted they didn't visit me often because the mess was so bad. I let dishes stack up for a week. Laundry was always piled up. And I'm afraid to ask anyone but it probably didn't smell too great! Lol.
I think I drove my husband nuts the first couple years of our marriage. Again I let the dishes and laundry pile up. Every room was a mess. And I'm embarrassed to say I probably only scrubbed once a month. Yikes! Thank God my husband is type A and always super motivated. He held things together those first few years.
Over the last couple years I've had to retrain myself to be more disciplined and keep on top of things. There was a few months when I had friends and family over a lot to help me while Josh was away from home. I had to keep the house picked up everyday because I never knew who would be stopping by. Three kids and my laid back ways made this an immense challenge for me. I can say I have improved but still have miles to go.
Now I have four kids and it isn't getting easier. I've been searching the Internet for any help I can find. I've found sites with menu planning and cleaning lists but the best one I found was www.flylady.com. The whole concept of her website is a lifestyle change. Her motto is "learning to fly (finally loving yourself)" and breaking free from "CHAOS" (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I'm learning to take better care of myself and my home.
Not long ago, my mom was telling me that she's been watching people. She's been watching people how they do life. If you want to change something in your life, watch someone who has that area under control. This was a huge revelation to me. For example, if you want to be thin, watch how thin people eat and eat the way they do. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, never finish an entire restaurant meal and if you do, wait until you are truly hungry again even if that means skipping a meal. Everything in moderation.
Ok so I've been thinking about my Aunt Rosie and how she always has a clean house. What would her day look like? In the morning she immediately gets dressed and does her hair and make up. She probably would bring her laundry down and start a load right away. She would have breakfast, empty the dishwasher and thaw something for dinner and then continue her routine through the day. And she wouldn't even have to think about doing any of it. At flylady.com I learned to make a morning, mid-day and before bedtime routine. I don't know why Rosie doesn't have to make a list of what to do in the morning or even think about it. But I have to. I must be missing this thing called discipline. Anyway, I've made my routines and I'm trying so hard to follow them. It isn't easy but overall my house is neater, my hubby is happier, my kids are better behaved and I feel closer to sanity. Best of all I can have people over to my house without spending hours preparing.
This is my morning routine.
Make bed
Pick up bedroom
Shower
Dress
Hair
Makeup
Wipe down sink
Swish & wipe toilet
Empty Dishwasher
Eat breakfast & feed kids
Feed baby
Dress kids
Bring down laundry
Start load
Plan for Day
Check calendar
Make to do list
Thaw something for dinner
Switch loads
Make phone calls
Computer time
It never goes perfectly. But since I'm lacking discipline it's nice to have a list to go back to and it feels good when I check each item off my list.
