Resolution Update!

My New Year's resolution for this year was to be able to stay on top of my housework. I started that resolution three weeks ago and I'd like to report that it's going very well! As of today I have accomplished every chore on my to do list every day. I know you're wondering how I have managed to do that in conjunction with taxiing kids around, shopping, cooking, and all the millions of other demands on a stay-at-home mom. Well, I'm going to tell you. :)

First I decided to define what a clean house meant to me.  Everyone has their own definition of clean and so I decided that my cleaning schedule would have to focus on my own personal definition or I'd never feel satisfied with my effort. To me a clean house is everything put in it's place, no crumbs on the floor, and it is germ-free (or as close to it as I can get with my ankle-biters). With those things in mind I first made a list of all the basic chores that need to be done in my house. Every house is different of course but here's my list to be used as an example:

• Clean bathrooms-Monday
• Laundry- Monday-Friday
• Dusting/Polishing furniture- Thursday
• Sweeping- Monday-Friday
• Vacuuming main floor- Tuesday
• Vacuuming basement- Every 2nd Tuesday
• Vacuuming upstairs- Every 3rd Tuesday
• Clean kitchen- Wednesday
• Straightening main floor- Tuesday
• Straightening basement- Every 3rd Thursday 
• Straightening upstairs- Every 2nd Thursday
• Mopping hardwoods- Every 1st Wednesday

Once I had the list complete I strategically assigned a day of the week to each task. I don't like to waste my Saturdays cleaning so I stuck with Mon-Fri. When I say strategically I mean I assigned chores based on the amount of time I have each day as some days are busier than others. I also made sure to assign bathrooms to Mondays because they are the things I hate cleaning most and I just wanted to get them over with! I also tried to be realistic knowing that while I am in charge of the house, my kids are my most important charge and I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible which is why I made the chores I deemed to be a lower priority monthly instead of weekly.

Finally I got out a calendar. Mine is our family calendar that we use to keep track of birthdays. It doesn't need to be anything fancy or if you'd rather you can keep track of things on a computer. I'm a list girl myself which is why I chose the old-fashioned way.

I made each chore be a different color so I could make sure I wasn't missing anything. This calendar is now hanging in my kitchen where I pass by it a hundred times a day and have to read it. No excuses! You might have noticed that I didn't assign any chores to Friday (except a laundry chore) and that was purposeful. We all have special projects that need to be done and I'm no exception to that. On Fridays I work on those extra things such as cleaning out the refrigerator, boxing up clothes my kids have outgrown, cleaning out a closet, etc. Make a list of those somewhere too so you can add to it as needed.

Having all my chores mapped out for the year has been so helpful! It is really forcing me to be accountable to my list and it feels great to have a clean house again. The best part is that I am only cleaning for the morning and so I still have plenty of time to spend with my kids and do other things. I suggest you conquer the hardest task first thing in the morning while you're still energized. For example, on bathroom days I try my hardest to get both full baths on the top level cleaned before I have to take my daughter to kindergarten. These two are the dirtiest and require the most attention. The other two I can get done while my baby is around because there are more things to occupy her attention. Yesterday I was literally down to the last couple of minutes trying to complete my two bathrooms and was running around like a crazy person. I got them both done with seconds to spare, however, and I felt proud!

I know, I know, who cares if I get two bathrooms cleaned before school? Well, you know what? I do. I like to set goals for myself and work on improving each day. My house is clean. My kids are happy. My stress-levels are down.

And I feel great. :)