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Welcome to Day 4.
Yesterday we applied the first 2 steps of my ENA formula to reduce your list of chores.
Today let’s finish the process and simplify those household tasks.
Choose Option 1 for the quick and easy version or Option 2 if you want to go further.
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I decided to use an app too! I’m hoping it helps – half the time I don’t get things done because I’m the only one around and I don’t nag myself to do it. Hopefully the app will!
I have tried many ways to keep up with chores… Creating a grab bag of chores that you draw from when you have time, creating a weekly schedule, or setting aside 3 nights a week for chores. Nothing has worked. I think that associating a time limit with the chore will help. Another is to clean the bathroom while the kids take a bath (while I can still supervise them) and finding other similar ways to use time that is currently idle.
Hi Tiffany, we’ve started talking about time limits a bit more on Day #6 posts http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/my-account/21-day-simplify-your-life-challenge/day-6/ and I like your idea of multi tasking at bath time. 🙂 Kylie ~ Community Manager
Made a simple list of daily and weekly tasks. Now to get in the habit of completing them.
I love Cozi , my lists are on there with daily reminders but I did go through and deligate a few things to my 9 year old grandson, now that he is out of school for the summer. he is earning his summer spending money by helping me with things around my house.
Lists are all made and hung on fridge and bathroom mirror!
Still catching up. This one will take time to plan today. Cheri Doughty Andrews I like the way you’ve assigned tasks to days of the week. That would be easy enough to add to my daily calendar as a task which I can happily cross off.
It was helpful putting them into the different headings. But I think I need to be more specific for the chores that are weekly, monthly and bi-monthly (my added category) – otherwise I can end up having to do them all in one day. I cannot eliminate so I need to look at how I can find more time.
Started my charts this morning then added to them throughout the day. This is kinda like a budget!
Once I categorized the chore list it appeared so simple. Not overwhelming at all. Was anyone else tempted to add more to their list because the end list seemed too easy? I thought maybe I could squeeze something else out of the time….I have a sickness:) I need to enjoy the freedom instead of filling it up with more business.
LOL Carol that’s a very smart insight! It’s like there’s a compulsion in us to overcomplicate. Definitely enjoy the freedom and simplicity of LESS instead. 🙂
Today’s challenge was daunting for me. My list of daily chores requires more time than I seem able to give it. But it is totally doable. I need to apply some self discipline. As I’ve read thru the group’s comments, I have begun to rethink what I need to do to progress. I am using IDailyDiary on my computer to keep track of this project and hope that things get easier as the days go by. Nuff said I guess.
I avoided this most of the day because it felt so overwhelming. But I finally sat down with my chore list and assigned specific chores to each day of the week. Seeing it laid out this way seems a lot less daunting than trying to clean the house top to bottom on the weekend. Most of the days the chores (not counting making dinner) amount to roughly 1/2 hour of work that can be divided into 15 minute segments. That’s doable. Although I am still looking forward to the day when I’m no longer paying college tuition and can afford a cleaning service!
I like this idea. I may give it a try, too. Thanks.
My chore list is in Toodledo, as well as in Notes. The picture I chose to use was my bed when it is cleaned off and made. Posted tht picture to #21DaySimplfy already.
I’m setting garbage day (Fridays) as my lynch pin day. I often avoid cleaning the kitchen or kitty litter because I don’t want my garbage cans to stink or attract wild life. So my new weekly schedule has a refrigerator clean out & kitty litter to be done on Thursday nights. Plus, I’m challenging myself to add an extra bag to each the trash & recycling containers each week as part of a weekly “decrapification.” (LOVE that new term!) Will challenge the kids to get rid (trash, recycle or donation) of a number of items equal to their age.
Decrapification is the best word ever. I am going to decrapify my life STAT!
This challenge was great and really helped me break down how simple it really can be with just a little bit of time each day & the tasks listed in front of me. I tend to get overwhelmed once I get home from work and realize how much needs to get done. NOW, I hope to begin checking things off my list before I leave in the morning and get my kids involved with the checking off process! Keep the great ideas coming!
I just re-negotiated with my family after looking at my divided up chores list. My daughter has agreed to bath the dogs weekly because she likes getting in the shower with them and they are small and manageable. My Beloved Trophy Husband is taking care of the daily emptying of the big, main rubbish bin, the weekly taking of the glass to the recycle center and the monthly shopping for and changing of the A/C filters in exchange for having a tidy and clutter free main living area at the end of the day when he comes home from work.
you are my hero!
I guess you can just sit on the couch and eat bonbons then!
Yes I can…if only I could travel to Turkey…..
Excellent delegation, Rachel! 🙂
I also use an app on my iPhone called Paperless. It helps me organize all of my lists and is handy when I go to the market because I never forget my market list at home. Chores are less as my daughters have grown up but I still try to to a daily “sweep” of our living areas to keep the papers under control.
I am a paper list fan. Especially for shopping.
When I get grocery catalogues I put what I want to buy under lists for each supermarket. Makes shopping so easy.
My “time available” for chores is often interrupted/altered as the day progresses. As I deal with the unplanned events of the day, my energy dwindles as does the importance of doing the chore I had planned to do. Thoughts? Advice?
Brenda–I notice you are retired, and I am headed that way, working part-time now. And I have realized that when I am not working–that unstructured time is so hard to manage! I start the day with great intentions, and then there is a phone call or I start something and get sidetracked when I see another chore that needs to be done.
I have started organizing on Sundays, again, as I did when I worked fulltime. And I plan out home-based chores for the week and am trying to get those things DONE. I even post them on my google calendar at specific times…it is working so far but is a new process. Maybe it will become a habit.
Thanks for the reply, Ann. I’ve learned a lot in retirement: my adult children are on the fast track and not easily postponed; my 94 mother-in-law needs more than I realized when I was working; dogs (we now have 2) are as challenging as children at times! I’ve continued planning my week on Sundays as well – and it really helps, esp to let hubby and family know what’s on my planner. My energy level/planning abilities are better in the morning, so I protect it at all costs. And sometimes it’s the chore list that get’s changed. Probably and example of me being my own worst enemy!
All those years of working full time, I thought I had to make the bed each morning before leaving…but now, that is one thing I let slide:) When I worked, it was so nice to walk into that calm space, but now it gives me a feeling of freedom to know I can let it go! Maybe you can let go of some things on your chore list!
Sometimes I do…. and it feels good when I’m leaving it behind to do something more important to me (walking, going to church for morning prayers, etc). And sometimes I need to do it to get rolling…. Hoping to reevaluate and let go.
Daily lists are awesome. Most of the time I choose my “to do” tasks based on what I think is important at the time. Having a daily item to tackle each evening while DH is at work would be far more efficient and probably more successful. I need to test this out for a week to see how it goes.
Would love to know how that test goes for you Sharon!
I’m like you, Sharon. I clean as I see the need. This is new to me. Help!
I haven’t worked this out yet, Lucy. Have you?
I have already done this. My chores are in Cozi, which I access each morning on either my PC, iPad or iPhone. I also have my daily chores divided into morning, afternoon and evening so that I don’t become overwhelmed by the list. Most of them take less than 5 minutes to perform. For people who don’t know where to start, Motivated Moms has great chore lists for housekeeping, and/or Flylady has a housekeeping system in 15 minutes a day that integrates with Cozi. Recently, I was asked to take on a task that would require 10 hours a week…it was easy to me to look at my list and say that I couldn’t possibly take it on at this time. What a great feeling to be able to say no without feeling guilty, and knowing that I was putting my family and home first!
Cozi looks very interesting. Thanks for the tip.
I’m sitting here looking at my divided up chore list, with stars next to those jobs I’m delegating to my daughter for an increased allowance ( hard to do, because I like to have control over processes ) and thinking to myself ” That’s quite achievable; I think my house could be clean, tidy and presentable with just this amount of time devoted to it” and it does really seem quite simple! Thank you Michele – every day’s challenge so far has really made me think about things differently, which is what I need.
Thinking differently is such a wonderful thing to do! So often it’s a change of thinking that changes our reality. Thank you Jenn for embracing the chance to do that. 🙂