Week one, day two

I've decided that maybe blogging frequently about this new method of staying productive will help me be successful. It will help me figure out what about my system works and what needs tweaking. Right now I am finding that one aspect of my "plan" is definitely going to help me stick to it.

This one thing that I think will help me a lot is that I don't have a set task for every single morning. I purposely left half of my mornings open so that we would have time for walks, playdates, appointments, etc. Well, it will also help for when I have an off night, like tonight. Let me explain...

Today during McKaleigh's nap, her diaper leaked. I stripped the bed to wash everything. Had the mattress cover in the dryer and the sheets in the wash and then totally forgot about it! Bedtime rolls around and then I remember... CRAP! So bedtime gets delayed by almost two hours because they need to be dried on low heat and it takes for-ev-er. Also, today I vacuumed half of the house, and since it's been awhile, I moved all of the furniture. As a result of this, my back is killing me! So now there are dishes on the counter, McKaleigh's toys are everywhere, and I just don't think I can bear to be on my feet anymore than is necessary.

But it's okay, really it is. The reason this system will work is that I'm allowed to have an off night. Tomorrow morning I will clear all the dishes and tidy up the play area. I won't let this one slip up ruin everything, because really it doesn't have to. I've done so great in just these two days, and not in the way I usually do. Normally I have a few days where I get so much stuff done and then I'm just so exhausted and get bored with it. I haven't gotten all that much done, just regular stuff, and only what I have scheduled to do. I think that makes such a big difference. I am making my expectations much more reasonable. Now I will end this post with a cleaning tip:).

Carpet spot/stain removal: This is for stains that have been around for awhile, not sure what to do when a stain is happening.

-First, I vacuumed over the area(necessary around here with all the dog hair.)

-Second, I sprayed with a solution of one part water and one part white distilled vinegar, then went and did some other stuff and let it set.

-Third, I scrubbed with a brush and a solution of warm water and Dr B's (I think the real key here is using a scrub brush and not trying to use a rag or sponge.)

-Then I just let it dry! I had these weird dark dirt spots in the middle of my living room that wouldn't come up from vacuuming alone, and then also had some bigger spots in the hallway from where the chihuahua likes to pee. These steps totally removed the stains! I'm going to be doing this on all of the spots in my carpet from now on:).

I think I finally got it!

It's only been one day since developing my new strategy for productivity, but I think I'm really onto something this time. The key this time? Having a WRITTEN plan!

I love all things google, so I opened up a google spreadsheet and got to work.

The first thing I did was make a section for tasks I want to do everyday. I broke it down by room, and each room has what time of day I should get those things done in. For example, I want to keep the dishes put away, either washed or in the dishwasher, NOT sitting on the counters. So I wrote it under "kitchen" and underneath wrote "after every meal," because if I let it build up, it just gets ridiculous! Another thing on my everyday tasks is simply tidying up. If you have small children you know that it feels like a never-ending battle. My solution to this? Twice a day I put everything away, during naptime and after bedtime. This keeps things tidy enough for my liking, but I don't go crazy trying to keep up with McKaleigh throughout the day, because I know I'll get to it a little later. Those are probably my two biggest things. If I can keep those done, seriously that alone will make me happy.

After I finished with the everyday tasks, I made another section of things I wanted to do every week. Split everything up by day and two different "time slots" in the day: "before lunch" and "after naptime." In these slots there's only ONE task. Some places have bigger tasks, some have smaller ones, or nothing at all. I'll vacuum one half of the house twice a week and the other half of the house two other times a week, sweep/mop the kitchen two times a week, and once a week I'll clean the bathrooms, always "after naptime." That's one area for everyday. It's enough to keep my house clean, but not too much that I will feel overwhelmed or over-exerted. "Before lunch" is saved for grocery trips, non-diaper laundry, and play dates.

I have a feeling that I will figure out more things to add over time, and perhaps will add monthly tasks, too. It's definitely a living document that will change and evolve. I had to start with something, though! I've been getting so annoyed with myself, not getting anything done. What I think will make this different than what I posted a few weeks ago, is that I do not have the energy to be doing as much as I expected myself to do with my other plan. This set up gives me plenty of time to get things done, so I can take breaks when I start to get too tired, but still get everything done.

It's definitely more realistic, for me.

I'll update later this week so we can see how week one went:).

Time and time again...

I disappoint myself, *sigh*...

I always start with the best of intentions, but my follow through is just awful! Honestly though, I'm really getting to the point where if I'm up doing things for more than half an hour, I become completely exhausted and my body aches all over! Plus for the greater part of the last two weeks, McKaleigh and I have both had colds. This has resulted in a huge increase in our TV watching time and internet using time.

I don't really know what the solution is. I mean, I know that I'm happier when I'm productive. Without fail, anytime I have a day where I get a lot done, it's always a good day, and I always feel good about it. So what drives me to being lazy? I feel like crap when I'm lazy! What's the payoff for me to continue this behavior? There isn't one! So why can't I just do the things I want to do? Have a clean house, spend more time playing with my daughter, and spend more time discovering new things that will make me happy, other than the internet and TV.

If you figure it out, will you let me know? There has to be something I'm missing.