to do on an ongoing basis to keep things up to date as I find that I am not as motivated as I used to be due to the depression and agoraphobia and this keeps me on track.Everyday Tasks
Pick a project. Each day, do an organizing project that will take a mere 10 minutes or less. Some possibilities are weeding-out a junk drawer or file folder, deleting 10 email messages you don't need, writing-out a bill or two, or cleaning up some of the clutter that's on your bedroom dresser surface.
Measure where you are. Setting goals is great, and definitely something you should do. Each day, check your list of goals to determine how far you've gotten. Mark % next to each goal, such as Goal 1, 10% completed, or Goal 2, 50% completed. Numerical goals are more concrete.
Allocate YOU time. Every day, you should have YOU time scheduled on your calendar. Time you spend on yourself, doing something you truly enjoy doing. Keep this appointment with yourself, just as you would any other important appointment.
Do something on tomorrow's to-do list. Use 15 minutes each night to start and/or complete something you have listed on tomorrow's to-do list. When tomorrow arrives, you'll already be ahead of schedule.
Stop paper before it starts. Open your mail over the recycle container and immediately dump all junk before it ever has a chance to hit your kitchen table.
Take notes and make lists. The average person has too much to remember on a daily basis to remember it all without writing it down.
Take a moment to think. Each time you're asked to do something force yourself to say, 'I'll have to check my schedule and get back to you. You'll have a little bit of time to determine if this is something you truly want to do or if it fits into your schedule. Then be strong with yourself and them whether it’s a yes or no.
Don't wait until later. Don't wait for something to get completely out of hand before you begin focusing on it. File papers on a daily basis and put your outerwear into the coat closet rather than first tossing it over a chair.
Personal Tasks
Evaluate the goals you set at the beginning of the month to check your progress. If you've completed all of them, set three new ones.
Be sure you have YOU time scheduled on your calendar every single day this month--at least 30 minutes or more to do something you really love to do.
Take the day off and do absolutely nothing. No fooling!
Pamper yourself with a pedicure
Try a new haircut, trendy nail polish colour. If you like it, then great. If not, that's OK--no permanent harm done and at least you can say you gave it a whirl.
Pay someone a compliment today
Remember that it is OK to say 'No' sometimes
Do something fun with someone you love, and while you're at it, do something nice for yourself.
Go to a dancing or exercise class
Learn Feng Shui
Write a letter to a relative who lives out-of-state. It's always fun to receive a letter, versus a bill, in the mail.
Say 'thanks, but I can't make it' to the next invitation you get that you don't want to attend.
Look up an old friend you haven't communicated with in awhile. Call or write a letter to catch up.
Call a friend who you haven’t talked to in a while. Tell them you miss them.
Sign up for something that will keep you healthy, such as water aerobics, a walking club, tennis or badminton lessons
Write a letter to someone you had a falling out with a while ago and try to make amends.
Call at least one person you've been meaning to call for months.
If you can't remember the last time you purchased a new outfit, treat yourself with one this month.
Exercise your mind by memorizing all the words of a song you enjoy
Reconsider renewing your subscription if you're already overextended in your reading goals.
Go to the beach and read a book.
Keep a journal of the fun things done on these lists.
Dance to favourite music.
Have a long candlelit bath.
Take your dog for a walk.
Get tickets to go see a professional sports game.
Go bowling with a group of your friends.
Go bird watching around your neighbourhood.
Go to a theatre, play, concert or a movie.
Go to the races or dogs.
Go to a museum, a historic building like an old church maybe, the library or the observatory
Play board game, do a crossword or a jigsaw.
Learn a language that you have been wanting to
Learn how to decoupage, so you can make your own pretty organizing containers for storage
Go to a garden park and have a picnic, collect things for craft while you are there maybe spray with hairspray and make a display.
Do a craft like basketry, redoing antiques, pottery, candle making or quilting.
Do something fun you haven't done in awhile, such as bowling, miniature golf or roller-skating
Go for a country drive to or take a bus tour
Cleaning Tasks
Thoroughly clean one of your appliances, such as your blender, food processor or indoor grill.
Dust off all of the picture frames and artwork in your home
Toss any old bed sheets and pillowcases, and buy your self a new set or two.
Is there a space between your kitchen cabinets and your ceiling? If so, dust that surface off with a feather duster.
Organize two dresser drawers, eliminating anything that no longer fits. And give to charity, family or friends
Clean out the drawers in your refrigerator. Completely empty them out, wipe them down thoroughly.
Iron clothing that need to be ironed before you wear them. Hang them in your closet.
Clean the tile grout in your bathroom and kitchen. Re-grouting if necessary.
Change any light bulbs that have burned out weeks ago, but you've never gotten around to doing.
Deep clean your shower and make it sparkle
Replace any old bath towels, with fresh new ones. Use the old ones for cleaning purposes.
Start making a 'spring cleaning' list of chores you want done around the house. When spring arrives, you'll be all set to begin.
Which room is most disorganized? Concentrate on clearing that one room only for the next few weeks. By the end of the month, it will be your most organized in the house
Clean under your refrigerator, oven and any other large appliances if possible.
Toss any food in your refrigerator that is past the expiration date.
Empty your cutlery trays and wipe them clean. If they're dishwasher safe, just toss them in on the next cycle.
Weed out clothes that no longer fit, so you have room for a new outfit or two, and donate them all to charity, family or friends
Dust and clean any framed art. (Important Note: Don't spray cleanser or water onto the glass. Instead, dampen a cloth to wipe the glass and the frames.)
Make a list of any outside repair work that needs to be done. Then, make an appointment with yourself, your spouse or a local contractor to fix at least one
Scrub down the toilet, including under the rim and the base. More than one bathroom? Ask your spouse or one of the kids to scrub down the other toilet.
Do a small 'outdoor' repair you've been meaning to get to.
Dust off all the windowsills in your home and office.
Clean all of your windows, inside and out.
Or, glance in your local Yellow Pages and find a professional window cleaner to do the job for you.
Catch up on ironing. Invest an hour or two, it will be worth it to have everything in your closet ready to be worn
Clean your closet from top to bottom. Empty it out completely. Give to charity. Wrap rubber bands around each end of your hangers to prevent strappy items slipping off.
Weed out your pantry. Donate any unopened, non-perishable foods that you never plan to eat to a local food bank
Get rid of any crayon marks, scuff marks, and soap scum in a jiffy.
Turn your mattress over or rotate it to prevent compression. If you have a no turn mattress, then take off the bedding and just let it air out all day.
Drag all of your garbage bins into your driveway and clean them well. Since you can use the garden hose, it's a much easier task when done outdoors.
Clean out your oven. Use a fume free oven cleaner.
Leftover candle wax in your glass candle holders? Try putting them in your freezer for a few hours. When you remove them, you should be able to pop the wax right out.
Organisational Tasks
Peruse your bookshelves and bring any unwanted reads over to a charity
Are you meeting your goals as planned? Make changes now.
Evaluate your eating habits. Are you mostly eating healthy
Organize your tools—in boxes or boards
Cosmetics only last one year. Look through your current lot & throw out any old one
Put a small notebook and pen by each phone.
Plow through a box of old paperwork at the office or
Recycle old magazines.
Gather all the umbrellas in your hang them on hooks, store one in the car.
Get pre-printed address labels to use for your mail or make them on your PC
Go through your cookbooks and give away to charity.
Add some hand lotion near your sink it will encourage you
Update the address book on your cell & home phone.
Print out any photos you wish to place in albums, photo boxes or scrapbooks.
Take an inventory of your home office supplies and replenish any that are running low
Free up space on your PC, by deleting files you don’t need
Update your resume' if you haven't done so in awhile.
Take an inventory of next seasons clothes. You'll know whether you have enough for the season
Fill a small pouch to put batteries in. Next time you'll have a replacement in a jiffy.
Do you have small gifts in the house. Store them together, and check this stock before you buy your next gift.
Are you behind in reading your mail? Set aside time today to catch up
Set a timer and spend 60 minutes weeding out your filing cabinet.
Add a few glass shelves to your bathroom wall
Fill a pretty vase with artificial flowers. When you get fresh flowers, just swap
Use a spiral notebook, to jot down any titbits or web sites you'd like to visit.
When organizing the kitchen, don’t forget the back doors. There are organizers to store rolls of wrap and container lids.
Defrag your computer. If it is not on your schedule, try to defrag your computer once a month.
Organize all of your shoes onto a shoe rack or into shoe cubbies.
Update your spice collection. Toss all those that are beyond their expiration dates. Purchase fresh spices as needed.
Refill any empty toilet paper rolls, tape dispensers, cereal containers, paper towel rolls and anything else that needs refilling.
Paint your garden tools in bright colours so they'll be easy to spot when you put them down.
Get rid of those frayed, spent towels and replace them with fresh, new ones.
Take some family photos, if you haven't in awhile. Print and insert them into an album or scrapbook.
Do some early Christmas shopping
Buy a few generic gifts – candles, gift vouchers, hand lotion, kids' games and. You will have them ready.
Stock up on any necessities you're running out of, such as toilet paper, tissues or batteries.
Taking a vacation? Use the Internet to begin researching destinations, attractions and so on.
Go shopping for an organizing tool, such as a container with compartments or some shelves.
Try to learn at least one new thing each day. Buy yourself a notebook and jot down your findings.
Have a notebook for restaurants you've visited. Keep name, phone,
If you plan to walk, get yourself a good pair of sneakers.
Get a tote bag. Add articles or business publications. Take it when you leave and read during waiting times,
Learn something you have been meaning to, and look it up on the Internet at the library.
Try to learn at least one new thing each day. Buy yourself a notebook and jot down your findings.
Make daily activity logs each day for a week to see where you are spending/ wasting your time.
Miscellaneous Tasks
Create a list of 21 favourite meals,
Think of someone, that you'd like to invite over for dinner.
Organize an 'appetizers and beverages' outing with your friends.
Visit a local farmer’s market and check out all the fruits and vegies in season.
Did you know that peppermint is diffused in offices in Japan to help keep workers alert?
Plant dill and parsley in your garden or container garden. You'll attract lots of butterflies.
Fill up the bird feeders to attract feathered-friends to your yard.
Read the local newspaper to find what's going on in your town
Watch one of the movies in your video/DVD collection, even if you've seen it before.
Do gardening or work in the back yard.
Do something fun, such as a family picnic in the living room, a games night or family karaoke.
Try something new you've never done before, such as making your own piecrust or crocheting a scarf
Come up with an emergency escape plan for your house. Have drills quarterly.
Paint one room in your home that could use a makeover.
Try something new, such as going line dancing.
Declaring a game night each month. Have each family member write his or her game choice on an index card. Then draw one each month.
Take your pet(s) in for checkups and/or grooming.
Bring your car in for an oil change and a maintenance check.
Volunteer to do something for a friend, at your church or for your favourite charity
Did you know that under inflated tires waste more than two million gallons of gasoline a day? Check your tyres
Visit your local garden shop for seeds or starter plants.
Make an appointment for each member of your family for an annual doctor's check up.
2 Responses to “Chores”
Hello..
I am LOVING this post, its absolutely fantastic!
All i need now is a big stick of dynamite up my backside to get me moving…
Have a good day,
Sarah♥
Hi Sarah
I’m really glad you got something out of it, it is really helping me at the moment - hope you find some dynamite