Get Me Moving! Motivate Me to Clean!

The motivation to clean comes and goes, like the tide.  The need to clean, however, does not, especially when you have a family!  Cleaning can seem like a non-stop chore, but it does not have to be.   There are ways of getting your home clean and enjoying the day, without hiring a maid. 

As I find things that motivate me or articles that inspire, I will post them as 'Motivational Tip # __ '.  I will also be tagging them by type, so that you can easily brows the ones most likely to motivate you.

If you need something, right now, go pick up all of the trash you can find laying around your home.  It will give you a sense of accomplishment and make a difference in the way your home appears and feels.

When the trash is gone, pick up the dirty laundry and deposit it in a hamper.  If you have a washing machine in your home, start a load!  Set a timer for one hour, so that you don't forget to move it over to the dryer or hang it out when it is done.

Now, plan what you are having for supper and get anything frozen thawing.  Decide when you need to begin cooking and clear the table, so that you have a place to eat.

Make the Necessary Changes

One of the most useful things you can learn to do is to put away what ever it is you are using, when you are done with it.  Learn to do this yourself and teach your children.  It will cut down on the amount of clutter and misplaced items around your home.  It is simple enough, that even a toddler can learn...

But what if your things don't have a place? 

Organized people love to say, "A place for everything and everything in it's place."  And they are right.  As much as I hate to admit it, they are right.  I wish there was an easier way, but there is not!  If you want order, then the things you own need a place.  A place that is accessible and orderly.  As I told my children the other day, "Your closet may be where that belongs, but if you just throw it on the floor, you will not be able to find it when you need it!"  They knew I was right, because the closet floor was three feet deep with stuff, and they were in tears trying to find their things.   After my little lecture, we hauled everything out of the closet, threw all of the trash away, sorted through what was left, putting away the things that readily had a place, and then made decisions on the few things that were left.  The things that they did not value enough to find a place for were given away.

In my opinion, getting rid of clutter is the hardest part of cleaning.  What do you hold onto and what do you get rid of?  The best advice I have found came from the book, Throw Out Fifty Things, by Gail Blanke.  She said to keep things that are loved, beautiful and useful.  She said to get rid of things that weigh you down or are not loved, beautiful or useful.  She also said to get rid of anything that you hesitate on.  Those hesitations were the part that had always kept me from feeling like I had succeeded.  Now I know that if I look at something and hem and ha over what to do with it, it needs to be given away.  Plain and simple!

Don't let the cleaning and organizing overwhelm you.  Do what you can, do what you know.  I realize the mess is fustrating, but you will burn out quickly without regular breaks.

In and Out

Years ago, I read an organizational book that was aimed at those who worked in offices, to help them tackle the projects that fell outside of thier daily routine.  What it suggested was to date each project that came in with today's date, and place it in an 'In' box.  Then, in free time, work on the top project, doing as much as possible in the time available.  The author also said that any job/project that could be done in 2 minutes or less should never be put in the In box.  Just get it done!

This idea of an In box, and it's counter part, an Out box, really appealed to me, so I began using one for the mail and such.  It was great for all paper things, but it didn't work so well for bigger projects.  This is where I had to get creative, and come up with a way to make it work.  I began using scrap paper, such as the print outs from the fax machine, to write projects on.  One project per piece of paper.   This way, like the box of cards, I never had more than one project to look at at a time.  It worked really well.  Then we moved, and I started a business.  Everything in my life had changed, and any unfinished projects were in boxes, along with my In box.

Recently, I have been working to reorganize all areas of my life, and am seriously considering starting an In box again.  There are so many projects to get done.  When I look around my home and yard, I am overwhelmed.   I think an In box for the projects would really help, because my present method of leaving them out, in site, is not working.  They all look like clutter, and when I work on decluttering, I don't know how to handle them.  They would be useful and lovely, if they were finished. 

What are your thoughts?