I've gotten into a bad habit lately, where I ignore most of my daily to-dos for the sake of getting more work done. While it does feel good to make significant progress on writing and web design, it feels miserable living in a home that’s unkempt. I know that it's important to clean and I know how good it feels when everything is in its place, it's just that sometimes I let things get away from me.
Many times we underestimate the power of cleanliness. Your town likely has an ordinance requiring your lawn to be well kept, yet do we really appreciate the look of a well maintained lawn or do we mow just to avoid the fine? Occasional major cleanups are required, but regularly taking time to tend to your home's interior and exterior can cause a huge shift in mindset and environment. Taking care of your home's interior and exterior are important tasks.
Let's talk about the interior. Every once in a while, your house needs a serious scrubbing. Baseboards, ceilings, laundry rooms, closets, cabinets and the like typically get glazed over during weekly or biweekly cleaning. Things can get really out of hand especially in closed spaces like closets and cabinets. Major cleaning projects should focus on all of these unloved areas. Regular cleaning should be based on the principle of putting away instead of putting down. That means that instead of the dishes going in the sink, they go in the dishwasher. Instead of the mail going on the dining room table, it's processed, distributed, and discarded.
Living in an apartment is nice because you don't have to worry about landscaping. Now that Alison and I are living in a townhouse, I've become very interested in maintaining our exterior's appearance. Every Saturday I mow the lawn, cut back weeds, and wash the car. It's a nice little routine and it's made Sunday extremely relaxing. All of the work is done and our exterior looks amazing and in a word, inviting. There's usually larger gardening and landscaping projects to be done from time to time. These larger projects should be done because it can make your house feel more like a home.
In addition to handling the major cleaning and yard work, you most likely have a honey-do list. This list gets its name from your wife asking you to do things, but there are also things that you see that need to get done. They are usually smaller jobs like fixing a window treatment, hanging something, replacing a door lock, or making some other adjustment. All of these little things need to be addressed, but they also give you quick wins. After knocking several of these items off your to-do list, you'll feel a real sense of accomplishment.
Taking care of your home is time consuming, but it can also be a point of pride as a husband. Living in a home that's clean and well maintained will preserve the integrity of the structure. Take the time to clean your home's interior, take care of yard work outside, and complete items on your honey-do list.
Tags: Productivity
