One new habit at a time thread

[systemsaddict]

Ok, here's a new thread for those of us just focusing on picking up one new housekeeping habit at a time. My first habit will be laying clothes out the night before - what's yours?

And because I started the thread I get to invent rules as well . I suggest two, as follows:

1. We are just working on one habit at a time. Doesn't mean this habit is all we are doing, but it does mean that when we've done that thing, we have achieved our goal for the day.

1. No guilt allowed! I've tried guilt as a housework motivational tool - it doesn't work. Not for any length of time, anyway, and ideally I'd love to establish habits long-term without having to beat myself with a metaphorical pointy stick.

Sound OK?

Sounds great

My new habit is going to be to clear my junk heap dining table every evening so that there is nothing on it at all. It attracts letters, bags, shite, bibs, tissues, stray wipes/nappies etc etc. We hold an Olympic gold in filling it up with crap in less than an hour. No more!

that's a good idea, would make a big difference to our house if we could do this too.

id like to commit to doing a wash everyday, i tend to let it all build up till it scares me to even look at it. starting tomorrow. no excuses.

Hooray, hooray, hooray for this thread
.

Have been thinking about starting something similar for months.

My habit is:

making my bed everyday (this just makes me feel better).

How long are we allowed on one habit before its time to add another?

I'm going to try and hang some washing out everyday rather than sticking it in the tumble dryer (waste of money!) Weather permitting of course!

There is a school of thought (per Flylady) that it takes 21 consistent days to build up a habit, so you do one habit a month (which allows for some off days - see no guilt, below!). Or you can track it with stickers - once you've built up 21 stickers, you've got it. I am tempted to do it this way and build rewards in for certain amounts of stickers too, but don't want to overcomplicate things as I have a tendency to do!

But for me, I know something is a habit once I don't have to feel like it to get it done, and once I don't have to put it on a list. Once it's automatic. Eg showering first thing in the morning - it's just something I do, I don't have to work at doing it. I started focusing on having a clean sink at bedtime in December and I now do it even when I really don't feel like it, so for me that's a habit.

Lol at the stickers!

Tis a system I have used many times in this house - but never on myself before .

I agree with that systemsaddict. This time last year I'd have flown to the moon rather than washed/tidied up before I went to bed. Then I got in the habit of sorting the kitchen out while I was waiting for kettle and sterilising DD's bottles. Now I wouldn't dream of leaving the kitchen in a mess because it's so depressing fighting your way through last night's dinner to put the kettle on at 6am.

Anyway, first night completed. Dining table is clear and wiped down. Have also sorted kitchen (including washing floor!), got DD's bag ready for nursery, washed and hung up a load of clothes, got the next load in the machine ready for switching on tomorrow. Am about to tidy DD's toys then I'm going for a bath and bed.

And I've got dinner to put in the slow cooker in the morning. Wow, how organised am I?! It won't last...

mine is do all household admin every sunday otherwise no mumsnetting

Ooh I started doing this. My goal was to do some tidying each day. I have managed about a week and a half so far - My next goal is going to be keeping up with the washing, because that is driving me mad. Think I will concentrate on the tidying until I have done 3 weeks worth.

woohoo! thanks for setting up this thread systems - sorry i had visitors and fell off the other one.

ok, here goes. I, SausageRoleModel, of 57 grottsville heights, Dirt Street, slatternsville, do hereby undertake to attempt to switch on the hoover for one x five minute period every day for 21 consecutive days. as per flylady i will be setting a stopwatch and it will get not a momemt more, not a mment less of sucky sucky floor action once in every 24 hour period.

wish me luck!

i want to get in the habit of cleaning the kitchen before i go to bed. i hate getting up to it in the morning.

we are in a 1 bed flat and it always looks messy as it so small. (thats my excuse anyway)

Emptying the hoover every time I use it instead of waiting until crap spews forth from the nozzle.

Great thread!
We have a dining table just like eyeballs'.... it's very depressing sitting there looking at all the stuff while eating each day...
Am going to sort it.

I did it!! I spent all last night composing a thread in my head explaining how both kids were tantrumy and exhausted so needed to just get them to bed, then they were asleep in the rooms with clean clothes in yadda yadda yadda ... then at half past ten I made myself go and find 3 clean outfits on the clothes horse so I am dressed and we have a whisker of a chance of getting to work and nursery on time today.

Love your habit SausageRoleModel. Mintyy I have used stickers for myself more often than for the kids I think!!

Well I hoovered this morning and emptied it.
I think I need a bigger challenge now!

count me in! Mine is to menu plan instead of waiting until 4.45pm to start wondering what to have. So tonight I will sit down with my books and tomorrow I will shop!

Yay. Day Two:

Loaded dishwasher
Put load in washing machine, waiting to hang up
Sorted and taken out rubbish
Prepared DD's bag for grandma tomorrow
Sorted my clothes and packed bag for work
Cleared and wiped dining table

Bearing in mind I only got in about 7 that's not bad going. Yay, this is working!

dang it! I am the only person not to manage t=even the first day of my habit! To be fair, did get dumped on looking after ds of friend who was off school ill, However, on re reading my thread I did noyt specify that my 21 day period would start yesterday so I am, um, deferring the start day until tomorrow.

systems - so impressed with your getting out of bed!

well done everybody.

ah but sausage I didn't manage day 2! Baby needed attention just when I was about to do it - although had I not been on the computer earlier in the evening this would not have been a problem. However am referring myself to the 'no guilt' rule below and will do it asap today for tomorrow.

I am actually using stickers to track this, once I have 21 on my calendar I'll start a new habit.

well done eyeballs and DWP!

I've been meanng to join this thread!

My new habit is to always set the dishwasher off before bed. Sometimes I cant be arsed and its not nice coming down to dirty dishes all over the kitchen! (like this morning!)

Will start tonight!

i am going to ger myself a sticker chart too systems. have done good deed for today (ferrying office equipment for little bruv) and am currently feeding but as soon as i am done that hoover is coming out!

Then i willhoover for five minutes
clear kitchen surfaces
strip rancid bedclothes and wash

**nb - does having a 12 week old excuse you if it all goes wrong and she demands my attention?

nb2 - my head is already trying to convince me that i needed her to be asleep to get this done but hoover will wake her up..... somebody give me a slap and tell me to get the hoover on NOW!

ok - well that was a lesson in "be careful what you wish for". i did my hoovering, got carried away and did more than the allotted 5 mins, filled it up so much it cut out (as its designed to) but now it wont start again. i may have blown its fuse or worse (and its only a couple of months old). this could make the other 20 days a bit problematic......

That seems very unfair of the fates to do that to you sausage!!! If it needs repairs I am sure it will be OK to switch to another habit for the next 20 days! Might it just need to cool down though?

I too have the 'can't hoover while they're asleep, can't hoover while they're awake' quandary. I think it's more me making a barrier than them though - ds2y is fine if I let him help, and dd8mo actually seems to like the noise.