Organizing My Home – One Month at a Time

One of my goals for 2020 was to pay attention to the house.  From getting better and more efficient at cleaning it, to organization, to decorating it to make it feel our safe haven. 

Little did I know how much 2020 was going to make all of us spend time at home.

I have yet to finish creating my 2021 goals, however, I do know I am continuing the home organization part and learning how to simplify daily household activities.  I am hoping this type of organization will allow me the time to enjoy a couple of hours of doing something for me without the overwhelming feeling of guilt in the back of my head about not finishing the laundry or cleaning the bathrooms.

I am sure I am not the only one out there feeling the need to decorate our home, organize our stuff, make it a more enjoyable place to live since we have been in them for the majority of the year with nowhere to go.  I feel with all the busyness of our pre-covid world, I had not truly realized the importance of making time to set a schedule for a well taken care-of home and how soul comforting it is to truly feel comfortable at my own house.

The thing is, it takes time to take care of the house.  Between the never ending laundry, meals (I do not like cooking), and cleaning, I have to cross my fingers I will have the energy (mentally and physically) to spend time reading a book without falling asleep or not be short when the kids ask what is for dinner at 10am in the morning or convince myself to not fall asleep during “stay at home movie date night”. I felt overwhelmed and started resenting the whole “housekeeping” part of the deal and YET, I want to be able to open a drawer and know what is in it and want to sit to read my book on my couch and not fixate on the chipped paint on the wall right at my eye level.  I want to feel proud of my house.

I want to create a routine to maintain the house because that will allow me the mental and physical energy and the time to sit and learn new crafts, read, scrapbook, watch a movie, visit museums, visit with friends, make pies or learn to enjoy cooking (see, I am dreaming big!). I want the freedom to be creative without feeling guilty and without giving up on the upkeep of the house.

I happened to see the book: “Martha Stewart’s Organizing – The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines” and it spoke to me.  The first page I read was this: “An orderly and organized life calls for creating and then sticking to clear rules, pre-set schedules, and to-do lists that are dedicated to your own lifestyle and that of your family…It will save you from disorganization and leave you free to spend less time on chores, more time for the activities that prove meaningful to you.”  This got me, it is what I have been craving in 2020. The book walks you through the organization of your home by braking into three parts.  Part One -Organize Your Year, Park Two - Organize Your Home, Part Three – Organize Your Routine.  They run concurrently depending on the project.

I plan to follow the book over the next year with the goal of organizing my house and time.  I will be documenting my journey here.  The first step goes simultaneously with setting up my 2021 planner.  I hope you come along in this journey!