I love this time of year. All of it. I love the cold weather, the lights, and the anticipation. I also love looking back over the past year. Maybe because I love finished things. A checked-off to-do list. A promise that has been fulfilled. A huge project that has been completed. Looking back at all that has been done is good, but I also like to think about all the new things we have to look forward to in the new year. I have long ago given up on a New Year’s Resolution, not that they are bad. If you like resolutions, by all means, keep setting them. But I do like to set some new challenges for myself. I also find that it is a good time to start incorporating new habits.
As I have mentioned before my house is not always perfectly organized. Nor is always it free of clutter. But I have systems set up that help me whip it into shape quickly. Here are some daily habits that help keep me ahead of the clutter. Before we dive in I also have to admit there are some that I have done for years and then there are a few that took some convincing. If adopting all the habits is too much feel free to pick a couple (I just started to make my bed on the daily). If you are way ahead of me and this is nothing new, it is nice to be on the same page. If you do these and more, I would love to hear some of your ideas please send me a message on Facebook or Insta.
So wherever you are on this journey here are the habits I would like to share with you and yours.
Habit One:
Establish a consistent morning routine.
Scheduling time first thing in the morning to set your tone is a valuable practice. This can look different for everyone. Last year I spent nine months learning the practice of contemplative prayer. For me, this helps me connect with my faith and starts my day’s focus going in a purposeful direction. You may prefer a time of meditation or gratitude journaling this is a good time to do it.
I also take the time to look over my daily/weekly/monthly schedule to make sure that I am staying on task. If you are into the enneagram thing, I am a 3, and 3’s can be known to struggle with calendar clutter… and this is where the struggle is real for me. To stay on top of my calendar I update my daily/weekly/monthly to-do’s. I look over my schedule and write any new notes and set reminders to make sure I stay ahead of my schedule for the day.
Habit Two:
Make your bed every day.
You caught me. I have already admitted that I may not make my bed every morning. But all my Minimalist, Organizing, and Inspirational Heroes say I should. So, I decided I had to give it a try. I started making my bed every day. Here is what I have found.
The clothes that used to lie by the bed are picked up on a daily basis. Making my bedroom less cluttered.
I am motivated by accomplishments, so completing a task early in the day starts things off right. I started to notice all the other two-minute tasks I could complete that just added to a more fulfilling day.
I smile every time I walk into my bedroom.
Ok, I’m convinced. Making my bed in the morning is a good habit.
Habit Three:
Do the dishes.
If you can, do them as you go or at the very least at the end of the night. And while you are at it may be clear off and wipe down the counter. This is one of those aforementioned two-minute tasks if you stay on top of it. If you don’t stay on top of it, it may take a little bit longer than minutes.
Habit Four:
Take advantage of garbage and recycling days.
My dad had many admirable qualities. There are definitely habits of his that I have applied to all aspects of my life. Little did I know that my dad would influence how I do garbage. Ever since I can remember the day before garbage pickup day was a pretty big deal. Dad would go through the entire house emptying every garbage can and recycling bin and take any broken or unneeded items to the garbage pick-up. I have come to appreciate this lesson and I also now know just how satisfying a good garbage day can be.
Using your scheduled pick-up as an opportunity to do, not only a whole house garbage can sweep but a quick mini declutter is an excellent way to maintain a clutter-free home.
I have also found a service that I am IN LOVE with. Ridwell truly makes “wasting less easy”. They provide everything you need to recycle, including some of those hard-to-recycle items. They also have a revolving “featured” item. This is an absolute bonus and has inspired me to get recycled items I no longer need that I may not have thought about recycling.
“Together, Ridwell members save tons from the landfill every year to support our community, keep our oceans clean and build a brighter future.” -Ridwell.com
Habit Five:
Do a quick declutter every night.
Return the misplaced items to their rightful home. Take care of any paper clutter that may have made it into your home. Recycle the unwanted papers and file the important papers. Having a simple file system will help with this. If you need some help establishing a simple filing system, you can read about it in one of my previous blogs “How long should I keep it?”.
If you have kids at home get them involved as well. This is a great habit to teach and can be taught at a very young age. In our house, we call it the 10-second tidy and everyone takes a quick minute to look around their space and take care of anything that needs to be taken care of. Sometimes this was literally minutes and other times it took a bit longer. But the idea is that everyone pitches in and it is not meant to be a deep cleaning moment.
Habit Six:
Review and check in with your schedule at the end of the day.
I like to go over my lists/schedules at the end of the day and move any task and make any notes for the following days. I use the Google Keep app and have daily task lists as well as a grocery list and weekly errands. I like having this on my phone as I refer to it often. I can also share these lists with any of my contacts. I also like to block schedule my days in Google Calendar. This helps me stay on task, which in the long run helps me be more productive with my time.
Oddly enough this habit has also allowed me to factor in some balance and grace into my expectations. I am a task-oriented person and I often tend to overload my daily to-do list. Knowing that I will be taking time at the end of the day has given me permission to take a project from today and gently move it to another day without feeling like I failed.
Those are my top six. I know that there are a bazillion other habits that can be adopted to help keep life organized, but this is a good start. Something is always better than nothing.