However when my house is messy is shows in more than one way. It shows in my attitude the most. I get grumpy because I can’t find what I am looking for, I end up running behind on most everything, I flat out forget things. Yes, it is more than my house. It is also my mind clutter. I needed a clean out.
I honestly don’t have excessive clutter (such as on Hoarders). I mean I moved 7 months ago and I got rid of a ton, I mean a ton, of stuff when we moved. The type of clutter I have is day to day stuff, such as the mail, the dishes, the laundry, the schoolwork, the books. It really is as simple as stuff doesn’t get put away. Then I get
Notice how warn out my book is.
A few years ago, well 6, I was at the library, I had been checking out books on cleaning and organizing for a few months. I came across a book called Sidetracked Home Executives. It was me to a T. At this time I had 3 kids. Tommy was in 1/2 day Kindergarten at public school, Emily and Katey were both home with me, with Katey being just a baby. I read the book in 2 days. I went out that weekend and purchased the book and the supplies they say you need. Everything was less than $20 total, including the book. It was then that I became addicted to my card file. Since then I have fallen off the card file wagon and gotten back on many times. It has followed me and been adapted to 3 houses with me.
Recently I was trying to get back into it again and I was just having such a hard time. So I reread the entire book, not just the chapter on setting it up like I had before. It worked, it really worked.
So here is how it works. You get an index card file and a variety of index cards in different colors. You need Months of the Year dividers, A-Z dividers and dates 1-31 dividers.
Each thing that needs to be done daily goes on a yellow card, with the amount of time it will take, if it’s a quick or mini job, the room it is in.
I even have a menu plan in mine. Like I said I am spontaneous so I don’t like to assign a day to what we will eat when. So I just list 10 items and cook them whatever day I feel like it. (I put what would need to be done in advance next to it.)
Weekly or every other week cards go on blue same style as the daily cards.
So after I do my daily cards I file them with the next days date, and weekly cards would be filed with a date next week and monthly with a date next month. I am able to keep up on the house this way and it makes it super simple to delegate to others. If I have appointments, deadlines or plans on one day I make a card and put it under that date. I check my cards for the next day the night before go through them again in the morning.
This honestly works wonders for me. I am sure that it will continue to phase in and out throughout my life. I do know that while I am using this system everything takes less effort and goes so much more smoothly. And if you can believe it, my attitude is better.
I highly recommend this book and system! I have gotten so many of my friends hooked on it.
Come back tomorrow to see how I made card file boxes for my kids to go along with workboxes, and this makes the delegating jobs so easy.
1 comment:
flylady.net helped me.
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