Does anyone feel like me?? Never had a routine and don't know where to start??

elaine373

I am the same. Does any-one know where i can get a jar of motivation? Or a tube of energy? Seriously though, i sit on my computer reading all the fantastic posts about housekeeping and cleaning and then have real trouble carrying it out.Helppppppppppppppppppp

eryn_kathleen

I've been trying to do the most basic parts of Flylady, just the bits that work for me. I've only been doing it for a week, and in the evenings I tidy the living area (includes our eating area and my study, so always messy), do the dishes, make sure the front hall is clear-ish, and put away clothes in the bedroom. This takes between a half hour and an hour.

I'm just about to do my first weekly thorough cleaning (the above plus clean surfaces and hoover, essentially).

Just before I started this routine, we had a massive tidy just before a party, so we have a really huge pile of stuff that got shoved into our spare bedroom. I can't get to it everyday, but whenever I have the time and motivation I go in and declutter as much as I can get to. I have 5 old washing up tubs, 1 for each room of the house, and I put everything in the tub of the room it's supposed to live in. When a tub's full, I go to that room and put the stuff away instead of waiting until I have a whole binbag full.

Having the spare bedroom full of crap is the only way that FlyLady has worked for me. I can shut the door on that room and pretend it doesn't exist. If we hadn't done that, the general clutter in our flat would drive me mental and I would never get around to the actual cleaning bit.

ETA: I hope I manage to keep it up! I'm pretty proud of myself so far.

ambernora

I thought I was alone in having no motivation to tidy my pig sty of a house. I am trying but I would rather go out than face the mess. It gets me down that when I do have a cleaning spree my 3yr old is following me undoing all my good work. I so want a tidy house and be able to have guests in without having to apologise for the mess as they walk in.

lottee

Just a thought, why is that you never get visitors when the house is tidy? But as soon as that doorbell rings, it ususally looks like a bombs hit??!! Or is it just me?!

cannylass_2

i would echo what eryn-kathleen say (sorry, not learnt how to do quotes yet!) -that is -do a few of the flylady bits that work for you. if you just try and do small amounts at a time you don't burn yourself out.

i know this means the house still looks like a warzone and having lived in one for 20years, i know how it feels! i joined flylady about 9 months ago and am nowhere near doing ALL the recommended stuff, but i do about 6 of the small tasks a day, and more if i can and it has made a huge difference to how I FEEL!!

i am starting to see parts of my house that i had forgotten i had!! :j

good luck !!

fsdss

lottee wrote:

Just a thought, why is that you never get visitors when the house is tidy? But as soon as that doorbell rings, it ususally looks like a bombs hit??!! Or is it just me?![/QUOTE

nope, my house is exactly the same.

when my mum comes round (who is very tidy and everything is in its place) its always like battlezone - mainly with toys etc lying around. Oh and boy- does she have a go!!!! now i make sure she comes near to mealtime and i make her a sandwich or lunch -whilst i'm doing this she'll clean wash up, do the floor, dust around. its great she can get things done in a fraction of the time that i can.

when i tidy up and the house is looking really good, i dont see anyone for days!!!

lottee

[/QUOTE] nope, my house is exactly the same.

when my mum comes round (who is very tidy and everything is in its place) its always like battlezone - mainly with toys etc lying around. Oh and boy- does she have a go!!!! now i make sure she comes near to mealtime and i make her a sandwich or lunch -whilst i'm doing this she'll clean wash up, do the floor, dust around. its great she can get things done in a fraction of the time that i can.

when i tidy up and the house is looking really good, i dont see anyone for days!!![/QUOTE]

Yeh, my mum is really houseproud too, & cringes if you leave a glass somewhere for more than a minute!!! A lady I once worked with told me it's a pscychological (spelling?) thing, eg: As you throw that pair of jeans on bedroom floor, rather than folding them up & putting them away, something in your mind is saying 'look at that mum' !!! Not sure if that's true...;)
My mum live miles away, 12,000 miles to be exact! So not much chance of her popping in, but I do get moving when I think 'God, if my mum walked in now, she'd have a heart attack!'
On that note, where are the marigolds? I must get started!

busiscoming2

Mics_chick - My house is fairly reasonable, but like you I find motivation to do anything in really short supply! I find the best way really is to be ruthless and chuck out/frecycle/charity shop the excess. If you haven't used it for a year then get rid of it, likewise with clothes if I buy something new I always try to get rid of something old, usually that has been kept 'just in case'! In the case of housework, ironing etc I try to do it first thing and even start before I take my 9 year old to school! Good Luck!!

helen_caslass

my house is the same a complete and utter tip i just dont have enough storage... i work 9-5, 5 if not 6 days a week i leave the house at 8.30 on a morning and dont get home till 6 at the earliest by the time i get home i dont feel like doing anything let alone cooking tea... i've decided this year is the year i'm gonna get sorted, i started in the kitchen last weekend havent done any since so will have to start again but this time i've got lists of everything that needs to be done in each room an i'll tick em off when i'm done...

hopefully i will get two rooms done tomorrow the bathroom and the spare bedroom, i'll feel better knowing there done and if i've got time i'll start decluttering the living room

newMS

thank goodness im not the only one, always wanted to post on OS but never dared to, everyone seems so organised... my house is a mish mash of "stuff" with no home, although its clean its untidy for the majority of the time.

I guess i will never change but will try harder keep up with it all, my mission this year is to decorate kitchen and bathroom, i had new ones put in in 2005 and never got round to redecorating :eek:

Good luck to everyone with the tidying and sorting