Many people have mixed feelings about making a tidy house the focus of their New Years’ resolutions. On the one hand, it can feel like a chance to fix those nagging problems that have been bothering you for months on end. On the other hand, life happens and nobody is perfect, and if you end up not meeting the goals you made on January 1st, you can feel as though you have failed at something big. The trick to nailing your New Years’ resolutions is to create a plan of action and to take small steps towards a larger goal, rather than overwhelming yourself with a huge goal and no plan. Here are some easy goals that contribute to the greater goal of a tidy house.
One Habit at a Time
Which type of household mess upsets you the most? Are you aggravated by dirty dishes lying about where they shouldn’t be? Is laundry on the floor your pet peeve? Perhaps it’s accumulations of junk mail and other types of paper piles. Make a list of mess types that bother you, and choose one at a time to focus on. For example, decide that this week, you are going to deal with every dirty dish you find, even if you don’t have time to do a full clean on your kitchen. Once that becomes a habit, move on to the laundry and let that become a habit too.
Identify Problem Areas
Even the tidiest house has spaces where mess and clutter tend to accumulate. Some people come home from work and pile their stuff on the kitchen table. Some homes have a chair where everyone dumps their winter gear. Bedroom floors are notorious for collecting laundry… and not just the ones belonging to teenagers! Make a goal to identify your home’s problem areas and tidy at least one “hot spot” per day. When they’re tackled on a regular basis, they become much less intimidating to clean.
Don’t Be Afraid To Outsource
Some household problems require equipment or expertise that you don’t necessarily have. One of your New Year’s goals can be to get a professional in to take care of that leaky faucet or that unsightly mildew stain on the wall. One excellent idea would be to get your carpets steam cleaned by a local carpet cleaning professional. Not only does this require you to do a good, thorough pickup of the rooms to be cleaned, it leaves you with fresh, clean carpets that look brand new and inspire you help the rest of your home look just as good!
Celebrate Your Victories
One advantage to making manageable household New Years’ resolutions is that you get to have a lot of “yes!” moments. Each time your house gets a little bit cleaner, you get to celebrate a well-deserved victory as you realise that you’re that much closer to your end goal. Make sure to take the time to congratulate yourself on a job well done. Small victories are still victories, and you deserve to celebrate!