Did you know a few bad habits could be keeping your house cluttered, usurping your time, and cluttering your mind? I’m working on some of those bad habits myself!
Letting go of bad habits isn’t easy, but so worth it if you want to keep a clean and organized home, which could save you precious time, which could improve your mindset. So, are any of these bad habits keeping you down?
Never Making the Bed
One of the most important habits you can develop to keep a tidy home, is to make your bed every day. It may seem unimportant, but studies have shown that making your bed doesn’t just keep the home tidier, but it also does wonders for your motivation levels too.
I’ve always made my bed first thing in the morning. Well, at least since I became an adult. It makes me feel good, not only starting out my day, but when I get ready to go to bed at night.
Think about it, the minute you get out of bed you’re setting your intentions for the day ahead. So, if you don’t make your bed, you’re automatically starting the day off in an unorganized and hectic way.
It takes just a couple of minutes. Really! Time it and see if it’s not worth it to start off your day feeling good about something. If you’re not committed enough to do that, you’re going to struggle to keep the rest of the house uncluttered.
Leaving a Messy Sink
The sinks in your home, particularly the bathroom sink, are used daily. Yet, many people choose to clean them just once a week.
When the sinks are messy, it makes the rest of the room look messier too. So, get into the habit of cleaning the sink after each use. Just a quick wipe down will help to keep it looking shiny, plus it removes germs frequently.
Keep what you need for a quick cleaning under each sink, and it will take you less than a minute to do it. A quick spray with a disinfectant cleaner and a quick wipe with a paper towel is all it takes.
Not Putting Things Away
This is a “biggie”. And the key to changing that is to make sure everything has a home – a place reserved just for it. If you don’t know where to put something, you end up just putting it down – anywhere. And then you find yourself moving things around, which ends up being a huge waste of time.
A rule that works for me is to store things at point of use. That means that when you need something, it’s right there for you, because you made space to store it there.
Leaving Tangled Cables and Cords in Full View
A small bad habit that can make a big difference to how the room looks, is to leave tangled cables visible. I know, during the night when no one is watching cables tangle themselves! At least it seems that way! But tangled cables and cords really leave the home looking cluttered.
Start by untangling the cables, then create a way to hide them, like running cords underneath flooring or securing them to the wall. Check out the many inexpensive products that tame tangled cables and cords.
Are any of these clutter habits keeping your home unnecessarily messy? Start with just one that bothers you the most. I’ll bet when you get that under control, you can’t wait to tackle another issue!
An organized home goes a long way in keeping you sane in a chaotic world.
Need some ideas? Have you watched “Get Organized with the Home Edit” on Netflix! I binge watched every episode! This is a good place to start getting you excited to tackle some of your home clutter problems. And you can look forward to Season 2 in the series, possibly before the end of 2021!
And you’ll find yourself talking about Clea and Joanna as if they were your best friends. I have all three of their books! If you really want some inspiration to jumpstart your decluttering mission, just click on the titles to order!
The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals
The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything
And as if their first two books weren’t enough, their new workbook guides you through the entire decluttering and organizing process! Check it out below!
The Home Edit Workbook: Prompts, Activities, and Gold Stars to Help You Contain the Chaos
If you’re like me, your biggest problem will be spending more time reading the books and admiring the pictures of organized spaces than implementing the ideas!
But – stay tuned! As I declutter and organize my own home, I’ll be sharing before and after pictures and how I developed and tweaked systems I’ve used to create order and calm. And some of those before pictures are going to be pretty scary!
P.S. If you click on any of the links and purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. But rest assured, I don’t recommend products I wouldn’t use myself. And these books are three of my favorites!
I’m educator and blogger Vicki Peel, Ed.D. I support family members trying to live good-enough, intentional, and simpler lives by sharing life hacks and simple systems in the areas of Home Style, Lifestyle, and Food. Start by claiming your FREE report, Self-Care Hacks at https://HERLifeHacks.com
My shop in https://SimpleSystemsForLife.com continues to grow with products that support a simpler lifestyle and save you time, energy, and/or money. You can download the FREE “My One Thing Habit Tracker” on this site to help you develop and sustain tiny habits that will change your life for the better. Click HERE.
