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 ... failed to get clothes ready last night, was shattered and went to bed, leading to complete havoc getting ready this morning with both kids up screaming at 6. I have the capacity to learn, I am evolving ....

how is everyone else doing?

well you may have noticed me by my absence - this is because my habits all fell apart and I havent done my five minutes of hoovering since sunday .

However NO GUILT ALLOWED!

I did manage to keep on top of the laundry (well the getting things washed bit, although I now think the utlity room contains possibly every piece of clothing we own in a big crumpled heap - ah well, at least its a clean crumpled heap and I have been managing to keep kictchen tidy andeven mopped floor!

I am going to hoover this afteroon - (even if it is only for 300 seconds in a half hearted manner) and start putting stickers in my new organiser!

Sausagerolemodel sounds like you have achieved a lot by avoiding the hoovering! I believe this is called structured procrastination - though if you have a PhD you will probably already know all about this . I too have been structured procrastinating, haven't managed my new habit but have got caught up on laundry and put lots of it away, in order to be able to then get it out - but never got to that bit!

Brilliant thread idea.

I am the world's worst housekeeper and my new habit is going to be to pick up all the toys at the end of the day and put them away in the toy buckets instead of thinking 'oh god, she'll only get them all out again tomorrow' and leaving them.

I am re-jigging my habit. Aiming to get clothes ready once a day didn't work; it did help me stay more on top of the laundry, but my baby sleeps in the room with all the clothes in and I never managed to sort them out before her bedtime. So I am postponing that one till she moves upstairs and starting on a new one:

Empty the Kitchen Bin Every Day - Whether it's Full or Not.

This one I can do easily under any circumstances, and facing a smelly overflowing bin has nearly brought me to tears and chased me out of cleaning the kitchen up several times this week. Shall go do it now.

I have not yet managed to do all the toys. I did manage to do about half of them one day but have been overcome by apathy. Think I need a more achievable habit to try. Am thinking maybe 'collect all washing up that hasn't made it to the dishwasher before bed and put them in the sink'. Is that setting the bar too low?

No such thing as setting the bar too low imho - I think the benefit of acquiring a new habit goes beyond the habit itself iyswim - it's about acquiring the discipline, and it's a first step you can hang other things off.

I have done the bin 2 days in a row now and feel proud

Well done!

I collected all the stuff that was kicking around (sippy cups, adult cups, a couple of glasses, a knife and a plate) and stacked it neatly in the sink last night. Felt quite proud of myself.

Hello, i would like to join you all if possible. I am currently on the slatterns thread which helps enormously, but i find that getting into a habit has really helped me, i tried the fly lady system, but is all a bit military for me. Over the last few months i have managed to get into the habit of making my bed every morning and clearing the kitchen every night. (well most nights, but its a damn sight better than trying to clear up 4 days worth at a time!)

My next challenge is the laundry. I really struggle. I don't know whether i should concentrate on getting a wash on everyday or the actual putting away of the clothes once they are clean and dry. Any suggestions? It will be easier as we are getting a tumble dryer in a couple of weeks so i will at least be able to catch up with the washing.

Hi alice! You are right that those are 2 different habits. Personally I focused first on getting a load on and hung up to dry every day - that meant we always had clothes, even if they weren't in the right place. But it depends if your problems are more about whether you have clean clothes, or whether you have a messy house. If the latter, having piles of clean washing lying around is probably higher priority for you.

Flylady always said that 'the washing' was one long job (wash, dry, sort, fold, put away) but this never worked for me because we have to leave things to dry for a few days - and with 2 little children I rarely if ever have time to focus on that whole process!

oh and I am now onto 3 days of doing the bin

Well done System
We have the same problem of taking days to dry clothes at the moment. Its not always practical to put a load on every day because you end up with your house looking like a chinese laundry. I currently have an airer set up permanantly on the landing (warmest place in the house). We have just laid the floor in our conservatory which is an extension of the kitchen so now have room for a dishwasher and tumble dryer in there. I wont know what to do with my time

Did clearing the kitchen last night, too! V pleased with myself.

I have so much sympathy with those who don't have a washing line. I remember those days well and it was a nightmare. Although it rained today, it's been so fine this week that I have just about caught up with all the drying.

To be fair we do have a washing line, but had to be taken down with the building work, and i really don't want it back up until we have some grass as it is a bit of a mud pit at the moment!

P.S. LOVE the structured procrastination link, Systemsaddict. That is me.

But for now,
Laundry habit going well
School uniform habit going well
clearing breakfast and dw first thing going well.
Thinking about supper for five at 10.00am rather than at 6.00pm is going well

Am finding that I just need to think less and do more.
A quick list to fortify, then jump in (things may be completely different to what was on list, but at least something gets done)

It does spread, doesn't it? I have been sweeping the kitchen floor every night - completely new for me and not something I am aiming to do particularly but I just feel that little bit less overwhelmed since starting this.

Think less, do more - that's key, isn't it? I definitely overthink this stuff, and actually it takes far less time just to potter around and do something than it does to work out how to plan it in. I read recently an article claiming that 'Experts don't plan much' and it really stuck with me. Most of the 'expert' homemakers I know, when I ask them 'how' they do it, just look blankly at me and say 'I don't know, I just do it'.

did bin again yesterday