do you ever feel like staying organized and on-top-of-things is a full time job? i do. sometimes it's a wonder i remember to brush my teeth every morning.
so, it was about six months ago that i decided i was done with being overwhelmed. done. and instead of writing to-do lists every day (and transferring all the inevitable incomplete items to the next day) i just designated every thursday as "nina's special clean up day".
the weekly ritual started off as just doing laundry and making sure nothing was rotting in the fridge. but it has evolved into my oh-so helpful "life maintenance" day.
typically, i come home from work on thursdays, eat something, and then roll up my sleeves and embark on house projects, paperwork, phone calls, emails, cleaning and anything else that comes up.
by the end of the evening, i always reward myself with a big indulgent flop onto the couch (and okay, maybe a glass of wine. and a brownie. and sometimes a second glass of wine...)
and let me tell you, it feels amazing. my life has never been more "manageable." (and no, it's not because of the wine.)
so, what about you guys? do you find it overwhelming to get everything done? do you tackle it all on one day, or throughout the week? i want to hear!
xo,
p.s. simon has his own version of this day on fridays, and thank goodness he doesn't mind changing light bulbs, folding laundry, and managing our finances, or we'd be living in the dark with no money and wrinkly clothes!
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38 notes:
I love this idea. I have been feeling REALLY overwhelmed lately. I think I am going to steal your idea. :)
I do feel overwhelmed. I have designated Sunday afternoons for cleaning, laundry, and cooking a good dinner. It makes the week start off better.
I feel overwhelmed all the time! And I'm a to do list person two!
this is a wonderful day! i might join you on thursdays once classes begin. it'd be nice to dump all the minutia into one afternoon/evening!
I love your plan. My day for TCB around the house and in my life is usually Sunday. We clean the place spic n' span, I organize my work for the week if I can, and I try to squeeze in a craft project or two. It certainly helps to have a day allotted for these things :)
I always try to have all my 'house duties' accomplished by Friday night, so the weekends are spent in pure indulgent bliss!
I love this idea and your musing on the subject. I tend to get things done everyday but always in the morning so that I can go about the rest of my day as stress free as possible. By the way, cute dress in that pic as well! :)
mel- yes, that's exactly my thinking too! :)
This post made me smile ... knowingly. Along with the A.Q. quote from earlier this week. So true!
With five of us now, it's keep up or get buried. So I pick away at laundry and other chores every day. Otherwise it's not pretty. And neither am I.
When everyone is back at school, Mondays are my days to do a big clean. (Cleaning just before the weekend, I've found, is a big waste of energy and time. By Monday, it's all in need of attention again. Go figure!)
This time of year, I set aside a small chunk of time to catch up with the things I can't do with everyone underfoot. This happens when Todd is out playing Ultimate. And when that time's over, I do something fun for me. It's amazing what you can get done when you have a set time in which to do it. And a reward looming just ahead.
Honestly, though, it's a team effort. The kids are big enough to clear their plates, pick up their messes (Brendan included), and help with things like sorting laundry, making beds, and wiping the table after dinner. Todd does his share too.
And sometimes I just have to be okay with "clean enough" -- a concept that never would've flown back when we were newlyweds. But ... times and priorities change. The A.Q. quote applies here as well.
So glad you'll be keeping up with our goings on...
Have a lovely evening, Nina :)
I like Sundays too, then at least part of my weekend feels very productive and I start getting into the swing of the week with that mentality.
My parents do their cleaning on Mondays, since Tuesday is trash day. =)
Sometimes it does feel like another full time job to manage household. it can become overwhelming.
And your idea is great! Need to give it good thought :) because, I am still on the "To Do " lists, trying to do what was planned.
This is a great idea Nina! I tend to wait untilthings are completely unorganized and I'm completely overwhelmed. I might borrow your idea to keep things more managable. I do appreciate your ideas!
I feel totally overwhelmed and don't feel like there's one day I week I could designate as 'get your life together day' because of my inconsistent schedule. I should just choose ONE day and say NO play dates, no going out to dinner, NO TV shows until my tasks are done! Good thinking. :)
yes, i should add that we are all different and of course this may not work for everyone...
thank you all for sharing your ideas and thoughts! it's fun to learn from all of you, too. :)
I need to adopt this plan. I like that you do it on Thursdays too so then you have the whole weekend to yourself!
This is such a nice idea!
This is such a great idea--I feel like this all the time! My sister makes fun of me because I'm so crazy about list-making and making sure everything's written down in my planner, but I really need to do it to stay sane, I think.
But sometimes that makes me even crazier! Compiling it all into one day makes so much more sense . . . I think I may try this . . .
sometimes i think i'm better when i'm really busy, but the past 3 weeks have been overwhleming with work, blogging, moving, wedding planning. it's those times i just try to make lists, and power through a few thins a day, forgiving myself if i don't complete them all and having a glass of wine at the end of the day;) xo
Yes! You really do have to stay on top of it all. I usually do cleaning and laundry on Saturday because I LOVE starting the weekend with a fresh apartment. Nothing is better than lounging around reading in a sparkling clean, clutter-free space!
http://mapcasereport.blogspot.com/
i live between laziness and overwhelming-ness...
I only get everything done when someone is coming to visit...otherwise, it can all just wait until I'm in the mood :)
GREAT idea! I might have to implement my own :)
that is such a great idea!! I really want to start doing this...
OMG! I woke up today and this was exactly how I felt the moment I got up! Absolutely Love the idea. I feel productive!
I'm finding that there is TOO much to do. so I hope to start "cutting" things out - ie making time for quiet and not rushing all the time - something has to give. I think the chores will get done more easily and I'll smile more. win win.
i usually end up starting it on the weekend and cleaning/organizing until i can't any longer.
i feel you, it not only feels good but it centers oneself.
xoxo
I'm so going to steal this idea! Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
good idea! thanks for the inspiration - i need all the help i can get!
i completely wait till the weekend to do my chores. And then i vow to do it on weekdays the next time. Never ending cycle:):)
My life is so chaotic right now it's hard to be organzied and optimistic!
P.S. I posted a great video link on my blog that I think you'd like!
http://leni.typepad.com/life/2009/08/mattress-dominoes.html
Hi there! I'm new to your blog. :)
I actually just adopted a similar method. My boyfriend and I chose Wednesday to be our weekly housework/errands day. We also have a running list of bigger projects- like painting a door or reorganizing the hall closet. Each week, we choose one project from the list and work on it a little bit all week. As an incentive, we don't leave the house on the weekend until all of the week's work is done. We just started this week, so it may be a pipe dream.
I wrote my own post about feeling overwhelmed, specifically by housework. Your post was my inspiration, so I linked you. Hope you don't mind! http://johannainman.blogspot.com/2009/08/cleaner-meaner.html
We usually end up doing this on Sunday morning, but it would be really nice to do it at a different time. I would love to have one weekday morning a week to do this, but then, work probably wouldn't like that too much!
Giving yourself permission to be relaxed about tidying for six days out of seven sounds like a great rhythm. And knowing that the reward for that rhythm is not only more space but also a glass (or two!) of wine doesn't hurt!
Thanks for the great idea! I'll be linking to this in my weekly "Yogini's Choice" post on Sunday 9 August.
That is brilliant!!!
Y'know the past entire stinkin year I've been overwhelmed with SO much! Bills, laundry, basic maintenance of just...STUFF, cleaning, etc. etc. This is a completely FABULOUS idea! Especially for the perfect procrastinator such as myself. Thanks for the advice, Nina. I'm totally going to start doing this!
that's what I need to do! thanks for the tip.
Hello :)
Interesting post! I am one who writes to do lists every day... Maybe I should take a leaf from your new book!
Thank you for sharing.
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thanks for hanging out and saying hello! i love reading your notes.