Planning ahead will ensure you do something… you’ll have a better idea what it looks like to be productive–even if it’s just doing one thing.
Not planning ahead can go well… but it may not be productive.
Keeping our homes clean is very difficult, specially if you have a toddler who takes out as much as you’re putting in :).
But we can do SOMETHING. It’s better to just do one little thing at a time… babysteps.
I first learned about ‘routines’ and ‘babysteps’ from Flylady. Check her out and see if this style of cleaning works for you. Me? I have made up my own way of cleaning that makes sense to me… of course I’ve taken ideas from various places.
Important Tip To Keeping Your Home Semi-Clean :)
Well, let’s say you’re watching tv in the living room. You are snacking on some popcorn, and drinking some… juice… and there are some napkins around ya–some fell on the floor… and your toddler son/daughter left his crayons on the table and some other toys around the living room. TV show’s done. You’re feeling SOOOO tired! There nothing more you could possibly do.
But WAIT.
Before you make the decision to go to bed without picking up after yourself (and others)… breathe in, breathe out. Imagine waking up to a cleaner home… how nice that would feel, how much better hubby will feel, what your children will learn to be like, and how less stressed you’ll feel if someone were to drop by for a visit.
Bottom Line:
The more we pick up after ourselves,
the more habitual this will become,
the more we’ll do this without thinking about it,
the faster it will get done,
and the cleaner your home will always be.
Hey, this is what neat freaks do! Don’t believe me… google it :)
Enjoy yourself in your home.
But once you’re done, go ahead and pick up after yourself before doing something else in another room :)… one room at a time.
House Rules:
If you sleep on it…make it up.
If you wear it…hang it up.
If you drop it…pick it up.
If you eat out of it…wash it up.
If you step on it…wipe it up.
If you open it…close it.
If you empty it…fill it up.
If you fill it up…empty it.
If you spill it…wipe it up.
If you turn it on…turn it off.
If you make it dirty…wash it.
If you have garbage…trash it.
If it whines…feed it.
If it cries…love it.
I’m not even sure who wrote this… if you know, let me know! I love it!
The proverb says that “He who fails to plan, plans to fail”.
This is very true for me. If I don’t plan, very little will get done the next day… or I spend a lot of time doing things that are very unproductive in my home, such as: blogging, sleeping, watching tv, etc.
So, I MUST PLAN to be PRODUCTIVE in my day.
How to Plan for a Productive Day?
2. Determine these important times in a day:
Most of the time I’m productive if I wake up earlier than the kids since I can get more done. This was impossible when my baby girl was a newborn. Now that she sleeps through the night, I can get my 7-8 hrs of sleep and actually wake up with energy. Beware of picking a day to sleep in–I do this, it’s okay… just beware. This can be counter-productive for some people since it can be harder to go back to getting up earlier–our bodies adapt to what we teach them.
I give myself 8 hours of sleep, ideally… I don’t do any of this perfectly–I’m aiming for it though.
My son wakes up at this time to eat breakfast these days…
10 am: chores/time with son (alternate)
11:00– time with son/chores (alternate)
Check out an idea of my daily schedule at my other blog.
And for your sake…
BE FLEXIBLE!!! Go with the flow. Things will always happen that are out of our control… let’s adapt without the guilt.
This is just a backbone, in case you need it… If I wake up late… I begin from there, etc. I may skip some things here and there.
Have fun and enjoy whatever you decide to do.
Maybe. Maybe not.
If you already manage your time… then, you may not need ‘tips’ on time management. You can comment here and give tips :)
If you are having a hard time managing your time as a stay-at-home mom, then this blog is mainly for you. Please feel free to share your thoughts.
Do I claim perfection? NO. But I would like to share what I learn and my journey to perfection…
What works… and what doesn’t work.
Hello. And enjoy :)
Time Management 