Truth…I’m a neat freak.
I don’t leave dishes in the sink overnight. I never go out and leave the house in disarray. When I go on vacation, the dishwasher is empty and the clothes are washed, folded and where they belong. I don’t like clutter and I hate to see things pile up. Yes, I’m that gal.
Here’s the thing, keeping your space clean frees up time for the things you love like spending time with family and friends, practicing yoga, taking a walk or doing whatever might bring you joy and relaxation.
To some, the idea of being neat feels like an unrealistic ideal. I’m here to tell you, it’s absolutely realistic and totally worth it.
Here are 5 habits you can adopt now to create more time for the things you love:
Make your bed. U.S. Naval Admiral, William McRaven said, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day.” Making your bed sets the tone for your day and as the Admiral notes, gives you a sense of pride, accomplishment, and encourages you to do another task.
Put things away when you’re finished using them. Whether it’s your toothbrush, your coffee creamer or your clothes, putting things away when you’re finished using them, saves time and keeps your space looking clean.
Wipe down the counters. Keeping your counters free of crumbs, sticky goo, spilled liquid etc., keeps the germs and the ants away and keeps you from having to do it the next time you go to use the space.
Wipe down the appliances. Stainless steel does a beautiful job displaying finger prints and smudges. As you’re cleaning up from a meal, do a quick once over on the appliances and see the difference it makes.
Clean as you cook. In our house, I cook and my husband cleans up. Clean up for him usually takes about 5-10 minutes because I will clean prep bowls, pans and counters while things are simmering on the stove or cooking in the oven. All that’s left to clean after dinner are the dishes we ate from.
Doing these little tasks over the course of your day minimizes anxiety, and keeps you from spending hours binge cleaning, sorting or laboring things that have piled up over time.
What habits do you have that simplify your life and give you more time? I’d love to know. Leave a comment below.
Of course, if you liked this post, I’d love it if you share it.
Photo by Rodolfo Mari on Unsplash