You work hard to get things done every day.
Yet, you get to the end of your week and things seem to have piled up.
Sometimes literally.
What gives? What are you not getting done?
- Cleaning?
- Laundry?
- Paying Bills?
- Routine tasks?
How can you make sure that things are not piling up on you?
You may have a daily routine, maybe you need a weekly one, too.
Have a Weekly Routine
Many of us concentrate on our daily routine. We work hard on our daily todo lists. We do our best to keep up with our calendars and appointments. We try to get everything done in a day.
However, often we don’t see the bigger picture. The forest from the trees.
And while we may get the day-to-day tactical things done, we fail to get the routine things done. This ultimately leads to more work in the future, because tasks undone actually create more work.
Cleaning the garage on a weekly basis? It may take 15 minutes. Let it sit for a few weeks (or months) and suddenly it is a full day job on your weekend.
One way to look at your weekly routine is to consider it preventative maintenance. What do you need to do on a regular basis to keep your life running in top shape?
The Secret of Weekly Chores
As kids, many of us had chores as part of a learning about responsibility and getting work done. We did not get our allowance unless our chores were completed first.
We seem to forget this simple routine as we grow up. So, why not setup some weekly chores for yourself?
Here are just a few routine things that you may not be getting done:
- Cleaning out the car
- Doing the laundry
- Exercising
- Repairing the house
- Paying the bills
It is about getting the basics done. And getting them done before you do other things.
Here are just few tips to make your chores work:
- Pick a Day – One way to make chores “stick” is to assign them to a particular day. Know that Saturday morning is the day that you spend 15 minutes cleaning the garage. Or maybe Thursday evening is always laundry night.
- Pick a Person – If there is more than one individual involved, it makes sense to designate who is responsible for the chore. Perhaps, it is a rotating responsibility, but there should not be any confusion. Otherwise, there will be statements like, “it was their turn!”
- Put Chores First, Instead of Putting Them Off – Before you sit down for your TV show… do your chores first. Just as when we were kids, have the discipline to get your chores done before rewarding yourself.
- Formalize Chores For Accountability – If you must, make a chores list or chart. This works great for roommates and households where kids are helping with the chores. Everyone can see the status of chores and what needs to be done.
- Anything Can Be a Chore – Don’t be afraid to put things like exercise or reading on your weekly chore list. Whatever you need to get done on a routine basis that is not getting done.
Let Chores Work For You
While you may be great at getting your daily tasks done, don’t let routine items build up on you. Use weekly chores to keep routine tasks in check and from becoming bigger issues.
In a short timeframe, your “chores” will become habit and you will find that you get the “routine” things done with minimal effort.
What could you do a better job of doing on a weekly basis? Do you have weekly chores?
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For the past couple of months I’ve been making a real effort to do housecleaning chores on a weekly basis. I hate spending any time on the weekends doing cleaning and household tasks, so I do a little each day to keep up on everything. One day I dust the whole house, one day I clean all the kitchen surfaces and cabinet fronts, one day I scrub the bathrooms, one day I clean the floors. That way, the house is always pretty clean, and if someone comes over on the weekend the cleaning is already done. No more last-minute pre-company cleaning frenzies!
I do need to do a better job of adding exercise and reading into my weekly routines. I have good intentions, but those usually fall by the wayside.
I really like the idea of assigning certain chores to specific days.
See http://www.flylady.net for a well-organized, long-established site on just this subject.
I just finished reading The Help (excellent book!) and it goes through the daily lives of the women who serve white women in the 60s. The point is they talk about their daily routines – Tuesday is ironing day, for instance. Wouldn’t that make life much easier??