Developing a tidying-up habit

Let’s be honest here: tidying up is a chore we’d rather avoid. Unfortunately, it keeps coming back to haunt us, though. The trouble is: the less you do it, the more work it there tends to be when you finally attack the task. Doing things in small increments is usually better and feels less annoying.

It’s not easy to change habits, even if your mind is set on making a change, but there are ways to made success more likely. Here are some ways to help you get started:

It’s generally easier to develop habits if they help you deal with something that annoys you.

• For example, if you are prone to leave your dishes where you have finished your meal, and you are then annoyed that they are sitting in the way or fall over when you sit down, it could be a simple matter of reminding yourself of that annoyance to make you get up and take the dishes into the kitchen.
• Another common annoyance is an empty cupboard when you are looking for a mug to make a cup of tea, only to find that all the mugs are dirty and need to be washed. If only you could get yourself to wash out mugs after use and let them dry out next to the sink. That way, next time you won’t even have to open the cupboard…

It all sounds easy, but it is anything but. There is a trick for tidying up to become more likely: use an existing habit to add something that you otherwise would neglect.

• For example: if you tend to make a cup of tea after lunch, why not rinse your dishes while the kettle is boiling and get that chore out of the way. Alternatively, you may load any dishes you find into the dishwasher at that moment.
• One step further: each time you wait for the kettle to boil, tidy up your kitchen surfaces. Those are small things, but they make all the difference.
  

Here’s your task for today: Think of something that needs doing more regularly. Now identify when that task usually occurs. Find something you do roundabout that same time and promise yourself that you’ll try to do that annoying thing whenever you do the other thing.

Habits take time to settle in (usually about 6 weeks), so don’t try to do many of those changes at the same time. Every little bit helps!

I wish you happy thoughts and good luck.