The American Resident did a post the other day about time management. I even managed to leave a few tips in the hopes of winning the lovely notebook on offer. (Blatant plea.)
In the last few days, as some will know, I've been severely incapacitated by pulled back muscles. By "incapacitated" I mean so painful to walk, sit, lie, exist, that I literally had to stay on the sofa with heat and ice things, and hefty doses of whatever painkiller I could stomach. (Much better now, thanks.)
One thing it did teach me was that most of the housework we think is essential, can actually wait till we're ready to do it. Ladies (and gents) we're setting the bar way too high.
Here, let me show you:-
Don't bother putting kids' pyjamas away. They'll be needed again that night (unless you do the "clean-PJs-every-day" thing, which is just creating work as far as I'm concerned.)
Ditto - the work table. What's the point of putting things in nice, neat piles when you're going to be rifling through it in about half an hour? And leave that homework out till the morning - just so you can do a last (panic) check before packing it into the school bag.
It's a fallacy that mail/post has to be opened every day, unless it looks like a birthday card with money in it that is. With t'Internet anyway, most of it will be bills. Just leave it till the pile gets so high it starts toppling over. (Then you can start another pile.)
And most importantly, don't bother putting the shopping away when you're just going to need it in a few minutes hours.
I have tried to explain this to my husband but he just doesn't understand. I also say what is the point in running the carpet sweeper over the carpet when the crumbs will absorb spills and stop the carpet from being stained in the future!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree - when i broke my wrist, things didn't/couldn't get done, and totally makes you realise that we work too damn hard! Glad you are feeling better now
ReplyDeleteAh, you have my letters/bills/junkmail pile, I see!
ReplyDeleteAnd my tendency to do as little as possible, when incapacitated - Today, I'm incapacitated as I'm doing some family history stuff - I did intend to empty a box from my recent kitchen renovations, to re-fill the kitchen with crockery, but tant pis!
Hope you feel better soon with that poorly back!
Fhi x
First of all glad you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteSecondly...... you've made me feel a lot better as I've been following that advice for years!
Your shopping looks mighty interesting!
Maggie x
Nuts in May
Its funny, sometimes I get a bit manic about tidiness (except for the car and when I'm on holiday and then I couldn't care less I'm ) but the most organsied people I've met are also the untidiest. And yes the wine is always out and at the ready in our house...surely it's decorative?
ReplyDeleteSometimes, like Jody, I get a bit manic about tidiness, as if I need to spring clean. But usually I figure life is for living not cleaning/tidying/picking up after everyone else. The other day after the dishwasher finished I opened the door and funnily enough the kitchen suddenly cleared of all humans apart from me. Suddenly I thought 'sod it, I'm not going to do it either.' And walked away and went and read a book.
ReplyDeleteGlad I inspired you, and great tips! ;)
You must shop at the same place as me...Wine R Us...x
ReplyDeleteI find it's easier to leave the shopping in the plastic bags - no point in unpacking it just doesn't last long enough Lx
ReplyDeleteI've often noticed with housework, that it is where you are that is important, not how you got there. For example, (bear with me) it's Friday today. If I vacuum the floor, it's clean. If I vacuum the floor, and I also vacuumed it on Wednesday and Monday (hypothetical here), then it's still just clean. Here and now, it doesn't make a jot of difference how clean it was all week. (And actually, it's so much more satisfying cleaning when things are really dirty and so you can see dramatic results.)
ReplyDeleteThere are no medals in housework.
Glad your back is better.
This is so funny. I wish I could be relaxed about the cleaning and tidying but I just can't rest of an evening until it's done.
ReplyDeleteAh but I live with a hoarder so the place is always full of piles of stuff falling over. I can be quite relaxed about the clean thing but it does drive me nuts when I can't sit down! Glad the back is better. Sounded not good at all so hope you drank some of that wine.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I disagree - I work best on 'little and often' when it comes to tidiness and housework, and I also live with 2 messy people. If I let it go for more than a day or so, the place is in a state and it just depresses me - so then I don't know where to start with it and end up doing none of it.
ReplyDeleteWhich you might say is a good thing, but it makes me feel miserable and I hate living in my house!
Thankfully I have a cleaner once a fortnight which helps to keep my sanity just about together. My only other saviour is to invite someone round for a meal, as that's the only way to get Husband to help - the house has to look like a show home if other people are coming to see it!
Obviously he thinks it doesn't matter if it's a pigsty for us. Unfortunately he can't cook so inviting people round just makes more but different work for me. Sigh.