How do I get motivated?

[Annpan]

I spend my day at home, I have a toddler and certain tasks that must and do get done (wood fetching, fire tending, chook and cat care, all meals are homemade) , I seem to be busy and get lots done, but I catch myself playing 'puter games, or reading random wikipedia entries

I have a list of things as long as my arm to get done and my house is a permanent pigsty with piles of junk everywhere and mould on half the walls, I find cleaning an uphill struggle but life is easier when I do get at least part of the house cleaned.


So, any suggestions as to what I can do to give myself a bit of a shake and a kick up the bottom, Timetables? computer amnesty?

[EcoDad]

Hi Ann

The worst thing you can do is see the whole thing as one big job. You need to break it all down into bite sized pieces. The way I do it is first pick one room then pick one job to do. Like Bedroom/hanging the clothes up in the wardrobe instead of having a pile on my chair.
Then after you have done that little job, work on something else and give yourself a break for a brew every hour or so.

hope that helps.

P.s. Having the radio on in the background is a good way of getting your mind off the job at hand.

[Shirley]

Totally agree with Ecodad on this one. Oddly enough I've just been doing that and I'm feeling really good about the fact that I've managed to clear the surfaces in my kitchen and sorted a load of stuff that should have been in there. It's a large room but had stuff everywhere because the storage facilities in this house are pretty poor. I'm getting a table and chairs from freecycle so I needed to make space for it too - now looking forward to being able to sit down together properly for meals again!

I started yesterday - did put a bit of a spurt on because my friend was bringing her two children over for the afternoon so that was a bit of incentive to get the space cleared quickly - the surfaces were done today and I have moved all the stuff from the surface in front of the window - room looks much lighter now too.

Don't punish yourself though - computer amnesty and timetables seem a bit harsh imo. Oh, and don't forget that your little one takes up a huge amount of your time, and rightly so. They are only this young once and I couldn't get on with the housework much when J was at home all day.

[invisiblepiper]

I found that changing where i was helped: you associate activities with certain places.
For example - I procrastinate going outside when its colder - but I'm fine when out - and the work gets done.
Or if I go into our front room with the telly - it tends to get switched on - if i stay out of that room then more gets done.
So that's me - sitting here at the computer(again) offering advice - time I switched it off too!

[Green Aura]

I'm the worst person in the world to be giving any advice on this subject, Ann.

My house is always untidy and despite my (apparently not good enough ) best efforts it doesn't seem to improve much.

What everyone else has said makes sense - but one thing that Shirley said was particularly true - storage space.
It's not just having enough, it's having space that you can function with. For example, back in manchester we had a fitted kitchen - the cupboards were always empty and the worktops were always full. When we refitted it we put lots of open shelving in - no cupboards. It may never have looked tidy to people who like things behind closed doors, but everything got put straight back after we'd used it and the worktops stayed clean and empty.

We have a similar problem up here, and quite frankly it wears you down. Because there's nowhere that I find suitable to put anything, I stop putting things away.

Sorry that was all a bit long-winded.

What I'm trying to say is - instead of beating yourself up over what you don't do, look at what you are doing and celebrate that, and then take a step back and see if there's a reason why the other things aren't getting done - is it a question of storage, it is something your OH should be doing as well, are you a bit down, does it really need doing?

And remember the old Indian proverb that used to be my signature on here "Cleaning something always involves dirtying something else downstream". A good motto to live by, I think

[hamster]

It depends what is stopping you or what you find yourself doing when you get distracted, and also what you respond best to in terms of organisation. Some people like lists and timetables, some people find them pressurising and it makes it worse.

You say you are busy and seem to get lots done, so it's possible you just have unrealistic expectations of what you should be doing, but if you think you are genuinely procrastinating, maybe try making realistic lists/goals and trying to avoid the temptation to faff about... For me, it's definitely the internet that distracts me, so if I need to get something done I have a partial computer amnesty and just don't switch it on until I've done what I need to do. Maybe one day a week where you don't use the computer, or don't turn it on until a certain time or you've achieved something you want to get done?

As others have said, don't forget to remind yourself of what you have done, though. It's very easy to be too harsh on ourselves.

[Annpan]

Well... today has been a reasonably typical day...

I got up
Fed the chooks and let them out
Checked emails, checked freecycle (I run a local group), checked here
Had my morning coffee while wondering up o the polytunnel to check on everything in there
Read the ish bible while finishing my coffee in the garden
Cut myself some bread for breakfast and ate that while back on t'internet.
Got E up, dressed, fed
Tidied up piles of books that were lying everywhere
Went back on puter,while E was watching DVDs
Checked the chickens again with E (topping up food and water)
Did the ironing
Made and ate lunch
Put E down for a nap
Dug 3 new beds in the garden
Found another egg from the chooks
Planted out seedlings in the PT
Had a cuppa
Checked up on 'puter things again.
Got E up from nap
Prepared and put dinner in the oven
Now I am back wasting time on the puter again.



Now, it looks like I got loads done, but the kitchen is a tip, I have baskets of washing to sort, the floors need swept, the living room is a mess, the hall and dining room are full of stuff that need got rid of before we start building work, the child seat needs putting on the bike,the back patio needs tidied.... but here I am sitting at the 'puter

I guess this is a pretty standard day and I just have no inclanation to do anything other than eat my dinner and go to bed - but I still have a long list of 'duties' that must be done before it all starts over again....




Having read over it, I think I am suffering from a bad case of being a busy 'housewife' Maybe there is no way out.

[JulieSherris]

Ann, you're hell bent on beating yourself up over this, huh??

Right - are you a 'list' person? If so, make a list - divide it up into daily things & weekly things - and yes, you can use the PC to do this, especially as things on the list will swap places as you put it together!
I used to be a right 'listy' and in some ways, I still am - but I've become a lot easier on myself since getting rid of the kids
I had a daily list of things I HAD to do - and the weekly stuff got broken down into separate days - so the bathroom & washing got done on a monday - ironing & hoovering on a tuesday - etc etc....

Then, before you go to bed tonight - about an hour or so - go & clean your kitchen sink..... sound stupid? Yes, probably - but bear with me on this one...... No other explanation will be forthcoming - just try it tonight - for me, go on....
Make sure that your sink is absolutely spotless before you retire for the night - and in the morning, you'll thank me.....

I started doing this years ago when my kids were tiny & I was drowning as a newish mum & housewife - I really couldn't get a grip on life & a friend sat me down & told me the same thing - that night, I had a complete revelation!!

OK, I don't particularly do it now - but sometimes I do if I feel things are getting out of hand..... let me know if you do it tomorrow & what else happened....

Julie xx

[Thomzo]

Ann
All the above. I am a 'list' person. I love a good list, me. Every morning I write a list of things to do that day in my diary. If I'm feeling a bit down, then the first thing on my list will be 'write list' that way I can tick one thing off as soon as I've finished. I find that time writing my list really helps me to get the day in focus.

The other thing I do now is that I don't allow myself to look at Ssish until after 6pm. That way I don't get sidetracked by it during the day.

Looking at your day, I reckon you achieve far more than I do.

Zoe

[Penny Lane]

I could've written your posts myself Ann!

I echo everyone's list idea, I'm a list person too. Just don't forget to put the little things on the to do list, mine always start with
Feed animals
Feed Indi
Wash & dry dishes
Clean kitchen

It makes it look like you've done a lot even though it's just the usual day to day stuff, know what I mean?

Mind you, I've only done one thing today - paint the kitchen! (Oh, & I cooked but that's usual). I've also got a pile or two of clothes waiting to be sorted and a bedroom that needs tidying!

Just to let you know, you're not alone

[Annpan]

Thanks everyone. I shall be cleaning my kitchen sink tonight Julie.... I am not quite sure what it shall bring me but I promise I will do it

[JulieSherris]

Actually, we should maybe start our daily to-do lists up again - what happened to those, anyway?

Mind you, I write my daily list out & if I get halfway through, I'm lucky!

Just to let you know, Ann - I'm going to clean MY sink tonight as well - just to show you a bit of support - I promise, you'll understand :-)

[Annpan]

Right who else is joining in with our clean along?

Come on, you know you want to.

[rockchick]

I have got horrendously behind on everything (3 hour exam today is my excuse) but as a general rule I too am always behind on housework and procrastination is my worst enemy. I have written many lists planning exactly how I can get all the jobs done every day/week/month but I generally find my pondering side wins and I never stick to it. My best advice - whenever you feel a bit guilty, do at least one job. Even if its the easiest one to complete. Sometimes it spurs me into a cleaning frenzy and we're all winners, others times it doesn't, but at least I can knock one thing off the list!

Currently I am feeling very guilty drinking a glass of wine, but tomorrow the frenzy effect should kick in...

[Claripup]

Well I would join in with the sink cleaning, but it's full of washing up and I can't face doing that tonight... I've spent the day feeding baby starlings, so nothing has got done!!