How To Create A Plan To Simplify Housework

“Simplicity will stand out while complexity will get lost in the crowd.” ~ Kevin Barnett

 

Each year for the past few years The Lord has given me a word to use to better my life instead of me using New Year’s resolutions. Well, a few years ago He gave me the word simplicity to use.

That was one of the best years of my life.

I am a very detailed person, and because of that I tend to focus on things a lot longer than I should and make things bigger than they really are. Every since I began incorporating the word simplicity into my life I’ve realized that I’m not as angry, I do a better job of planning ahead, and I’m not as overwhelmed or anxious. For the record there are days where I feel like I’m being pulled in one thousand different directions; however, I choose not to move in every direction I’m being pulled in. I pray and ask God for guidance and for Him to lead me in the direction He wants me to go.

 

Today I have an assignment for you. The only thing you will need is a sheet of paper or your journal, a pen/pencil, a quite space with no distractions, and honesty. At the top of the paper write SIMPLICITY.

Now, take a look at your life, your home, your schedule/job, and your relationship with others. What tasks seem to cause your head to hurt, your heart rate to speed up, or your palms to become sweaty?

Write those tasks down as quickly as possible without thinking too much about it.

Now, I would like for you to organize this list from smallest task to the largest task. The reason for this is because we sometimes become so consumed with tackling the larger tasks that we forget about the smaller ones. Those smaller tasks that we once forgot about will eventually become bigger tasks.

Next, write down your current plan of action and how you actually get those things done at this very moment?

This is where the honesty really comes in.

Don’t write down how you imagine or perceive yourself to get these tasks done. Write down how you really get them done. If you put them off then write that down. If they never get done, then write that down.

Draw two columns: 1) What works for me? 2) What doesn’t work for me? Then list the things that work for you and those that don’t work well for you. If you have to think about if it works longer than 10-15 seconds then you need to write it down under the do not work for me column.

Each thing you have written down on your paper is an elephant (tasks) you need to “eat one bite at a time.

Now, turn your paper over and answer this question:

How can I break things down into smaller task and still accomplish the same goal?

 

I haven’t made my list yet, but one thing I’ll definitely have on my list will be laundry. I absolutely hate folding clothes. I’ve tried telling myself I love it over and over again. I’ve tried reminding myself that I have small children who will one day be adults, and that I need to make the most of these moments while doing their laundry.

 

Guess what? I still do not like it. I do not mind washing, drying, and putting the laundry up, but I hate folding it. Since we will be moving soon I need a better plan. The plan I had before was that I would wash and dry everything, and my husband and the kids would fold them. With my husband work schedule I can’t expect him to keep the laundry folded for me weekly.

 

My new plan is to:

 

Assess everything I have and see if we really need all of the clothes we have moving forward. Do I really need as many “walk around the house” clothes? Does the kids really need as many play clothes? I already know my answer will be no.

 

I will do this by going through one room at a time over a period of 3 weeks (3 bedrooms at 1 per week). So, I will get rid of even more clothes than I did when we moved.

 

I will also do a better job of recycling clothes and see if we can wear them again before washing them.

 

I will stick to a schedule of doing laundry 3 days per week with a minimum of 2 loads of clothes per laundry day (I might not have to 6 loads per week, but I want to set myself up for success).

 

I will fold and put away each load of laundry as soon as the drying cycle is complete.

 

I will continue having the kids to help hang and fold their laundry. They will only be allowed to get their laundry done on the weekends, so that means I will have to make sure all of my husband and I clothes, the towels, and linens are washed on laundry days opposite of the kids.

 

Finally I will ask for help when needed. This is one of my biggest struggles, but I’m determined to overcome it. We all need each other.

 

Postive affirmations really help me when I’m trying to tackle any huge elephant in my life. Here are a few for you to speak aloud to yourself as you create your plan to tackle your housework.

• Today I will find a way to do all I have to do without being overwhelmed by it or lost in it all.

• I will simplify things instead of making everything seem so complex.

• I realize the effectiveness of what I do is not determined by how complex it is, but how simple I …make it.

• I will force myself to see the simplicity in each task I have instead of complaining about how difficult it is to get everything completed in a timely manner.

Please comment below to let me know what’s one task you plan to work on “one bite at a time.” I’d love to hear your thoughts.

 

In His love,

Tiffany