Coming Out of the Closet, Bag & Box… #7
My client now realizes that there is more to streamlining than just decluttering…
Here’s what I don’t understand. Why, when I allocate time to work on the house but decide to start by putting the dishes in the dishwasher and clearing off the kitchen table/resting place of every paper that comes in from the mailbox, the camp cubbies and my newly created “kids’ craft center” — two hours go by. And the kitchen is operational but the rest of the house still looks like it was hit by a freight train driven by clowns. Blind clowns. And it’s time to me to get to the kind of work that actually pays the bills. Or pick up the kids that eat all the food purchased with money made doing the kind of work that actually pays the bills. And as the kids walk through the door, through the house, and into the kitchen (we’re hungry, we’re thirsty, we’re hot, we’re bored) they leave in their wake the residue of another chaotic day?
How am I supposed to stay optimistic in the face of such a hamster run effort?
Tags: organizing, routine, simplify, time
That is the difference between routine and project tasks. We need to keep building your routines so they are easier and faster and the project time needs to be dedicated. Washing dishes is not part of the organizing of the house. A little bit of creativity can help with hungry thirsty hot bored kids. Have them clean the kitchen or bathroom with cold water then all sit down for a preplanned snack.
Okay, we have something to work on. Please don’t give up. I promise it will get better.
Thank you for making the distinction between routine and project tasks. When looked at from that perspective, it becomes clearer why we sometimes get derailed. Just have to think: routine or project! Thanks, Miriam.