I deeply dislike house work... No, seriously, I do. I would much rather make a huge mess in the kitchen... I do like the smell and feeling of a clean house though (I wish that would be the only determining factor about hiring some help...sigh).
But something I read last week might've just changed my life... I received the latest issue of "Woman's Day" magazine (got a free subscription), and there was an article about cleaning.
The first thing that jumped out to me was this quote, "Most people overestimate how long a chore will take. Time yourself emptying a dishwasher, making your bed or folding a load of laundry. I bet it will take less than 5 minutes!" (Lorie Marrero, the creator of the "Clutter Diet").
That was intriguing! I decided to time myself. Sure enough, I started with an ever-growing pile of dishes in the sink. I put a timer on to see how long it would take me to unload the dishwasher. The result? 3.46 min! That was exhilarating! I then timed how long it would take me to load. Yes, it's a bit longer process but I still stayed within 7 min. So in about 10 minutes I managed to both load and unload a dishwasher.
I went on a crazy spree... Wiping countertops and the fridge, scrubbing a sink and the stove, put some kitchen stuff away, wiping the table and the little one's chair - less than half an hour. Half-bath - under 10. Making Kid's lunch - 3 minutes (unless it's early in the morning and I feel like I need some toothpicks between my eyelids. Then...don't ask...).
As many of you know, I'm working from home. I literally spend 3-4 hours a day on a couch hugging a laptop (and yes, I attempted to move it to the desk before but kids disagree...). I decided to challenge myself - I try to take 15 minutes of every hour to do house chores instead. It's better for my health too :) Not every day goes smooth - like the night when the sicky kid was up like 7 times - on that day I was spread on the couch cushion way longer than I want to admit... But most of the days are pretty successful. If I devote just 45 minutes a day in 3 increments, I might even be able to fake the resemblance of a clean house for good... And that surely feels nice :) Again, I discovered that the secret to every problem is to figure out what works for you...
Have you ever timed yourself while cleaning? What chore do you dislike the most? What stimulates you to go and do it (well, besides enjoying a clean house, OK? :)
