I am a list maker. I have been for a long time. For whatever psychological reason, I get things done better when I have a list. And there is such a great feeling of accomplishment to be able to cross it off when it’s finished!
One of the things I’ve ALWAYS made a list for is spring cleaning my house. It looks kind of like this:
Living Room:
Dust ceiling.
Dust north wall and everything on it.
Dust south wall and everything on it.
You get the idea. I just work my way down the list, and pretty soon the whole house is done.
I haven’t started spring cleaning this year, and it may turn into fall cleaning, which may turn into spring cleaning 2022, because I am having SO MUCH FUN Making All The Things!
In fact, I don’t want to stop Making All The Things just to do my regular cleaning. For that, I haven’t usually made a list, since it’s such a regular thing. I do use other psychological tricks though, to get it done. Like commercial cleaning. Every time commercials come on, I get up and clean. However, there are waaaaaay too many commercials that interrupt my fun. And I like a lot of them. The Geico and Progressive ones are funny. I love the Peyton Manning and Brad Paisley ones. Also, any of the commercials with Charles Barkley are fantastic, especially during March Madness. I wish they showed those all the time! “We’re finally here. In the Annapolis.” “And you can be a Pipsqueak.” Oh my goodness. Good stuff right there, good stuff. And of course I have to stop and watch them. Or Google them. So obviously, commercial cleaning was not a good plan.
I’ve tried the Five Things Method (it’s not a real thing). Every time I get up to get coffee or go to the bathroom, I have to pick up or clean five things. But I would get up and get coffee and ten minutes later I’d go to the bathroom and ten minutes later I’d get coffee and ten minutes later I’d go to the bathroom. I know, TMI, but I feel like I have to really tell it like it is so you can feel my distress at how cleaning interrupts my Making All The Things. And actually, now that I see it in print, it seems like Drinking All the Coffee is what is interrupting my Making All The Things. Well, I’ll have to deal with that another day.
When I was a kid, my mom called it Nestle’s Quick cleaning. We’d just hurry and scurry and get everything picked up and put where it belonged and we were done, until we got it all out again. As I recall, it seemed kinda(?) fun as a kid, but as an adult? Nope, not at all. It just makes me want chocolate milk, a liquid, and we all know what that leads to.
Huh, maybe I should try a list. The more things I can cross off the list, the better I will feel about having done everything that is on it.
- Get off chair. 2. Walk to kitchen. 3. Open cabinet door. 4. Get out Formula 409. 5. Get out cleaning rag. 6. Spray countertops. 7. Dampen cleaning rag. 8. Wipe down countertops. 9. Pour cup of coffee. 10. Sit for a moment and recover after being away from Making All The Things for so long. 11. Go to the bathroom.
And just like that, three weeks later, my house would be sparkling clean! Might be a plan. Not a very good one, but a plan nonetheless.
The very best part of cleaning my house has always been the reward at the end of it. I light my candles. I don’t really remember how or when this started. But I’ve been doing it for years, and I think maybe my girls still do it, too. So as much as I joke about how much cleaning is a pain, I do love it so much when it’s done. It smells so good, my mind works better when things are clean, and it feels so very cozy. It’s home. And I’m Making All The Things and watching all the good commercials and I’m still deciding if I want to stop drinking all the coffee but I don’t think I’ll rush that decision.