How do you motivate yourselves to just get on with it?

[letmehelp]

I recently became a SAHM.

Because I have a tendency to overthink things if I don't keep busy, I have enrolled myself into a number of courses / exercise classes and voluntary projects, but still have at least half of every school day free.

I thought I was going to use this time to get the house and garden sorted, but I reckon I'm doing less housework than I did when I was working. I can always do it tomorrow you see and Bargain Hunt is stupidly adictive

What tricks do you play on yourself to make yourself just do it?

Lists. I make lists and tick them off as i do things on them.

Also, Bargain hunt has comercial breaks, i jump up and put a wash load on, then empty the dishwasher.
next one i fill dishwasher, emty washing machine.
All during commercial breaks

It's a well known law (well for me at least)........the more time you have the less housework you do.

1 The dice Game!!!

Choose 5 jobs and 1 treat
number them
do whatever comes up on dice(maybe for 15 mins or less)
tick things off -or replace with new things until you`ve made a dent in things.

2 Arrrange to go somewhere---shops,library,walk to post box ,coffee with friend

But you cant go until youve at least completed minimum on list

3 pretend you are on TV/someone is dropping in

4 Flylady or bits of it!

5 i player and pause button use as reward for boring chores finished

I Tell myself that if I do half an hour of housework then I can treat myself to 15 minutes of mumsnet/read a magazine/flick thru a catalogue/have a brew. Then I find that once I've started whatever it is (hoovering, dusting, sorting paperwork, etc) I'm spurred on with a sense of accomplishment, so i end up doing more than half an hour to finish it.

Invite people round. Then you will feel that you have to do the Clean of Shame.

Watch 'How Clean is Your House?' instead. Always gets me going!!

I like that "five treats and one job" idea.

Piglet - that's a much better ratio

Inviting people round regularly is the very best way of keeping on top of the housework

I agree with the "inviting people round" idea. I have people over once a week (at least) so I am shamed into keeping my house clean and tidy . It works!

Yes invite people over. Always works.

I imagine my grandma is coming round, scares the living daylights out of me till I get the mop out!!

I put some good dance music on; gets that duster moving!