Routinely Done

I am a creature of routine.

I used to wake up, have breakfast, take my medicines (usually), take my son to school, and then come home and take a nap.  I spent my days figuring out ways to avoid chores, which was exhausting. I slept a lot.  Ok, I was also dealing with depression and various medical concerns.  Still, I didn't make any effort to establish a routine which included doing any chores.  Chores were done in a haphazard, sporadic fashion.  Dishes only got done when there was a dire need for clean ones.  Laundry only got done when someone said, "I need clean underwear!"

It took a lot to break these habits.  It took wanting to change the habits.  It also took months of starts and stops.  I made lists for myself, checking off each thing I did as I did it.  Eventually, it began to become second nature.

I'm not into routines that deal with every minute of every day.  Maybe that works for some people, but not for me.  In my routine now, after I drop off my son at school, I do my basic chores.  I've decided that I will do about one room a day.  By now, I've memorized which day goes with which room.  I still print up my weekly schedule and check things off of it when I get them done, though.  My basic chores now take me about 30 minutes to do.  They often took closer to an hour when I started, but I've gotten a rhythm down for each room that makes things go faster.

Having a time and a place for each day has helped me so much.  I'm not spending my energy avoiding chores.  Instead, I have found ways to put in a minimum of effort to accomplish what needs to be done, and I've made it routine.  If I do nothing other than these basic chores for a week, my house will still look neat and cared for.  Without that routine, though, I'd still be doing things haphazardly.  With this routine, I know each part of my house will get cleaned at least once a week.

Establishing routines is one way to develop good housekeeping habits.