Now I don't know if this will work, but I am going to give it a try. I am going to approach my day time chores/housework as if they are a 'paid position'. That is, as if I was going out to work. I think when at home it is all to easy to fall into the trap of putting things off and not taking the work quite so seriously.
My elder son made a comment to me the other day...
'I remember when you used to go out to work, study, practice, cook, clean AND do housework, now you don't do any of that stuff!'....
Hmm...certainly put me in my place didn't it? Yet it is true. I did my degree and masters, while working and looking after the family. Goodness, I wonder how I managed, some days now I can hardly string a sentence together!
So from the 1st January I am going to treat my days as if I am 'going to work', thus trying to use my time more wisely and not waste away the days unmotivated, tired and sleeping.
It is going to be really hard to start with, but I am hoping that once I have been doing it for a few weeks it will all start to come more naturally. We shall see. My goal is to at least keep going for a whole month and then extend from there. By committing to both blog and paper I am hoping that I will be successful in my goals.
So I have written out a timetable, a list of jobs - now what do they call that, a personal job plan - oh I am sure it is supposed to have a fancier name than that, but see even those sorts of things escape me now. I am going to start my day earlier. Why the early start? I am usually awake at that time anyway before I drift back off to sleep again and have found from experience that although it is jolly hard getting up at that time, once up, it is not so bad, and the day seems so much longer so more can be achieved!
DAILY TIMETABLE
6.00am - Cup of tea while using light box and catching up on emails etc...
7.00am - Shower & dress. Breakfast. Unload dishwasher, put washing on, straighten cover and cushions in lounge and any other 'light surface' chores.
8.00am - Washing up,ironing if any, start working on kitchen while DS2 is getting ready for school, so I can be on hand for any necessary requests. Feed guinea pigs.
9.00am - Music practice.
10.00am - Start work on decluttering and deep cleaning as per allocated week.
12.00pm - Lunch
1.00pm - Blog photos & 'playtime'.
2.00pm - Trips to PO, supermarket if required.
3.00pm - Sewing
4.00pm - DS2 Home. Feed guinea pigs (before it is dark)Prepare Dinner, clear kitchen, fold any washing as required to be put away or ironed the following day.
6.00pm - Dinner, clearing up etc...
7.00pm - Blog, hand sewing, knitting, watching a DVD with hubby.
Aim to be in bed by 10.30pm so can read for 1/2 hour maximum.
Each week I will focus on one room in the house. Aiming for 'Less is More'. A serious declutter - getting rid of all the 'stuff' we don't use, need, require and either throwing, recycling or taking to the charity shops.
Starting with the kitchen I will be looking at getting rid of all the chipped cups - we have so many cups, do we really need chipped ones as well?
Crockery - we have so much, just keep enough that we need and use. Also check crockery in dressers and unit in conservatory...when was the last time we used these things, have we ever used them, will we ever use them?
Cutlery & kitchen tools - do we really need umpteen duplicates of things? Again, keep those that we use the most and that are most comfortable to use.
Tea-towels - keeping the clean and tidy ones, throwing the others - using them either for rags, or recycling.
Tablecloths - keep those that are used and fit and in good, clean condition.
Appliances - only keeping those that we use on a regular basis. How many old kettles do we really need? When did we last use the chip fryer? Goodness knows how many years ago! It left such a mess of our ceiling we never used it again. It is just taking up valuable cupboard space.
Clear top of cupboards.
Finally wash walls and ceiling so the kitchen can be freshened up with a new coat of paint.
Week 2 - Bathroom & Hallyway & Front Porch (if time allows)
Week 3 - Lounge
Week 4 - Bedroom
Week 5 - Conservatory
Week 6 - Front Porch - if not done before.
At the end of each week I will report on what I have achieved, what has gone, what has been kept, etc... If I haven't finished that room, then it will roll round until the next time it is due.
At the beginning of the week I will write a list for the following week.
I have chosen to do the outside jobs, like shopping, post office and banking in the afternoon as that is generally the time when I really do want to snooze so figure it will be best then to get out of the house as required. Of course I won't need to do this everyday so on those days I am home I will continue with the room of the week.
Some things will okay regularly each week. For example:
Fortnightly on a Tuesday I clean the guinea pigs out ready for the compost collection the following day.
Weekly on a Thursday I have quilting group.
Monthly on a Saturday I have quilting group.
Sewing and Knitting: Finish my WIP's, which actually isn't too bad a challenge really, it just means putting in the effort to get them done. In no particular order:
1. Red jumper
2. Multicoloured jumper
3. NZ Sampler Quilt - 1 - embroidery, backing & quilt.
4. NZ Quilt - 2 - quilt
5. Mark's Quilt - backing & quilt
6. Other Quilt - backing & quilt
7. Hexie Flowers - catch up as behind again!
I am sure this will need more refining before I start and also during the process....
