Day Three: Routine

They say that one ought not to take on too much all at once. They say that in order for change to "stick" it needs to be gradual--smoke one less cigarette a day until you are down to just that last one, start your weight loss plan with choosing an apple instead of a chocolate bar, that sort of thing.

I'm too impatient! I accept the risk that I may crash and burn, but I am a full-in, head-on changer. That's my style of change. No toe-dipping for me!

This series is a fantastic opportunity to establish the consistency I've been missing for doing my housework: the support I've received so far has been incredible and incredibly gratifying. I guess I perform best in front of an audience. So, now is the time to get into the rhythm.

So, today, I'm going to re-start my morning routine. I first created this routine last year to help me deal with the mornings when my daughter started school after being home-schooled for many years.

But, of course, today was not a routine Monday! My husband, who usually has the day off on Mondays worked over-time in order to help pay for our new wall in the basement and my daughter has a mild cold and so had a day on the couch.

Every routine, I think, has a trigger--and she going off to school is mine.

In the wake of the cold air rushing in as the door shuts behind her, I am supposed to turn around and do....

Dum da da dum....

The Morning Routine:

1. Swish and swipe the bathroom. (This is a Flylady thing.)
done? downstairs-yes.
upstairs, um, no.

2. Put away dishes in dish rack.
done!
2b. wash breakfast dishes.
see below.

3. 15 minute pick up throughout main floor.


This is how things start to look when I don't do this!
done!

4. Pick up Master bedroom
yes!
4b. make bed.
see below.

5. Laundry: start a load, fold one if necessary.
see below.

6. Review calendar and review or make up daily To Do list
done. (It's a doozy, too.)

7. Do One Essential Task.
(This is new. I'll talk about this another time.)

Carrot: Computer time!

Checklist:

Made Bed?
yes.

Dishes:

(last night)
after supper?
Yes. Twice! After doing the supper dishes, I decided to make muffins for my husband's work lunches in my nice clean kitchen. And then, I actually scrubbed out the muffin tin.

when I got up?
There was nothing. Well, nearly nothing. I decided to wait until after breakfast.

after breakfast?
yes.


after lunch?
no. Three bowls and a pot.


Laundry:

Load started?
yes.

Load transferred?
yes

Load folded?
yes.


Load put away?
Half of it.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement. I means more than I can say.