I don’t know about you, but in our home, I think it’s safe to say that 75% of the mess/clutter/chaos/whatever-you-want-to-call-it that builds up around the place in the course of a given day, is thanks, in large part, to not following through.
Busy rushing around in our haste to get dinner together, or attempting to shepherd everyone out the door on time, we tend to do only the bare minimum when it comes to cleaning up behind ourselves. In our mind, we’re saving precious time. But really: how much longer does it take to put your dish into the dishwasher vs. placing it on the counter right beside it? Perhaps 20 seconds (at most)? Or what about hanging that piece of clothing back up in the closet instead of throwing it on the bed? 30 seconds (or less)? Putting away towels once they’re folded vs. placing them back in the basket? Opening mail, then throwing it away or filing it in the bill basket vs. leaving it to accumulate in a heap on the counter? Placing a package of toilet paper under the bathroom sink vs. just tossing it onto the vanity as we put our groceries away? Taking our shoes to the closet vs. leaving them at the door? Again…mere seconds! -
So what if we all dislodged the notion that we don’t have time for these simple task completions? And what if we trained our families to do the same?
Let’s look at things big-picture style now: is it any wonder that once we have several days worth of half-done jobs piling up behind us, we get completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mess? That’s when we start to get stressed, frustrated, guilt ridden – and all the while, the piles continue to grow and grow… Our home is no longer a place to rest our soul – it starts to smother us.
So today: let’s all work on this discipline of follow-through together, shall we? Try to be conscious of jobs that you’re only doing half-way as you go about your business. And be intentional: choose to finish at least three of them. Each one is a victory, no matter how small! Each completion is a step toward forming a new way of life. And anything that reduces stress, frustration, and guilt is worth pursuing in my book!
Thoughts? Do you struggle with doing things halfway, thinking you’ll get back to them later? What tips/tricks do you have to share as we learn to retrain ourselves to be people with follow-through?
Great post Kristin! I struggle with this big time. I never really thought of it this way, though. Thanks for bringing it up!!
Thank you! I hope it inspired you to follow through today
. Thanks for the twitter shout-out too!
You hit the nail on the head. I suffer from no-follow-through-itis…ugh. It’s amazing how clean we can get our place when preparing to have guests over, and then a few days later, the clutter builds up again! (I’m eyeing this pile of mail and other random stuff as I type…) You are absolutely right – it just takes seconds, literally.
Hahahaha! You’re so right, company coming sure whips us into shape, doesn’t it?!! We’ll fight the no-follow-through-itis together
. Now, go take care of that pile of mail!
Yep. I’m right there with ya. Staying at home and being your own boss can be very difficult! It takes a lot of discipline that I sometimes lack! I try to schedule a 5-8 minute de-clutter session every day. I quickly run through the places that clutter tends to pile up (kitchen table, utility drawer, bedroom side tables, etc.) and get it under control! This usually happens during my daughter’s nap time so it’s totally doable. But sometimes I make up excuses to not do it! I am inspired by your post to get back at it!
Lianne, I LOVE that 5-8 min. de-clutter session idea! Thanks so much for sharing it
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Yep…I definitely struggle with this in certain areas. The funny thing is, it’s only when I’m not busy that I get that way. The busier I am the better I do at keeping everything up and doing most everything well.
Isn’t that funny? I’m the same way – I tend to structure my days (and life for that matter) more productively when my plate is more full. Strange, huh? So I guess the key is to keep busy? Only thing is, I much prefer a slower pace of life… alas…
This is something that I am very good about, actually, all thanks to my parents. Fortunately, I married a man who didn’t get married until much later in life (to me!), and he is equally tidy. Hurrah!
So true…so much has to do with your upbringing, doesn’t it? I think I speak for all the neat nicks out there who married messy men when I say: JEALOUS!!!!
Mmmmhmmm. Not following through… it’s all of the problem! Ugh. I was better at this before I married a lazy person, haha! (isn’t it so easy to place the blame elsewhere?!?!).
Here’s something I read in Happiness Project that really works here: the 5 minute rule. If it can be cleaned/ picked up/ put away/ done/ written/ etc etc in 5 minutes or less, DO IT NOW! And we’ve been trying to live by that rule in our house and it’s hard- really hard sometimes- but so useful to keep us accountable for following through!
Hahaha! Always easy to pass the blame
. I LOVE that 5 minute rule! Thanks so much for sharing it…fabulous idea. You know, every single time you mention The Happiness Project I think, “I should reeeeeally read that book!”. But then I never do. Sad. I know I would love it! Hope your week has been a good one so far T!
This post really spoke to me. I have started trying to put clothes away at night and lay out my clothes for the next day. Its a discipline that is tough for me but what you said is so true, we don’t save time by leaving things unfinished, we just carry around a to do list that gets overwhelming.
What a great goal to have your clothes put away/laid out before bed. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing it with us Chrissie!