Don't put things down unless you are putting them away.
To start, OBVIOUSLY there are exceptions. When I'm unloading a trunk of groceries I don't put away each item before going to the next bag (I'm probably carrying 4 bags and my arms are dying from carrying them from the garage to the kitchen.) And sometimes you are running in the door and have to use the bathroom right away. Or your potty training kid needs to go to the bathroom. Or the baby's diaper is leaking (I'm sure there are non-bathroom related exceptions...)
BUT for the most part, I try not to set things down unless they are getting put away.
Which is ties in with day 2: don't put off anything that takes less than a minute.
And day 3: A place for everything and everything in it's place.
On the mornings I work, I pick up Luke afterwards, usually past lunch hour, we come in the house, I'm starving (and the 22 ounces of water I've drunk since leaving is feeling like a bad choice), with my coat, purse, work computer, hot chocolate mug, recycle I've brought home from work, Luke's waffle cup from eating his breakfast in the car that morning, and my water bottle. There's a whole lot of things going on. So I take the 90 seconds to drop dishes in the sink (until my hands are less full), put my water bottle next to the fridge to refill, put my work computer in it's spot, hang up my purse and coat (and have Luke do the same), throw recycle in the bin, and then go back and stack the dishes.
DONE. Maybe in less than a minute. And the house is miraculously back to where it should be: everything put away, done in less than a minute. So much easier to deal with everything while I'm still holding it, rather than setting it down, having it mentally nag me throughout the afternoon, until I finally suck it up and take care of it. It's done and we can move on with getting Luke to quiet time and lunch for myself.
When things are out of place, usually when coming back home, I really try to deal with it all immediately. When I get the mail, envelopes and junk go straight to recycle and/or shredder, bills go to my bill box, and magazines go to their designated locations. Generally nothing is set down unless it's getting put away.
Which is also when it's SO IMPORTANT to have a place for everything. If everything has a place you don't have to think about where to put it! Just put it away!
And just like that, the house is getting to be a little cleaner, a little tidier, and you don't have all these nagging tasks in your head.
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This week I'm sharing 5 little tips to keep your house looking clean, little things that can make a big difference in how you and others see your living space! Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
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