Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A Sense of Accomplishment - One Task at a Time

My mother always told me to make sure I accomplished one thing a day, whatever the task, but usually always something house related. I used to follow her advice. But in recent years, it seems I had forgotten that piece of wisdom.

Recently though, something caused me to conjure back that memory, and I've put it back into practice. It works. I truly do feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in getting just one thing completed each day. I’m not a week into this yet, but so far I've:
  • Scoured the bathrooms, including washing the baseboards and woodwork
  • Cleaned the stovetop
  • Washed the baseboard in the foyer and living room
  • Dusted and polished the old piano
  • Rotated the mattress on the bed
Back in our DINK days (Double Income No Kids), my husband and I hired a housekeeper to clean our home every two weeks. We got that “whole house clean at one time feeling” and it was great. But with kids, work, and obligations of life, I’ll settle for the one thing a day routine. It works pretty well. Thanks Mom!

What are your tricks and tips on getting things done? What gives you a sense of accomplishment?

2 comments:

Wishwords said...

Ooo, good timing. I've been reading the FLYlady's page and adapting her ideas to my schedule. I've discovered that if I start my day with productive activity, like doing dishes, cleaning counter tops, etc., I have a much better day. So, each morning I do a daily routine that takes about 15 - 20 minutes and mostly involves the kitchen, and then I do a single "big" task like organize the pantry or scrub the bathroom.

And you are so right about how good it feels.

T.C. said...

Hi Sheryl,

I've always been a list maker, sometimes to my own detrement. I've been know to accomplish something that wasn't on the list but write it down, just so I can cross it off!
Having a list does help in getting something accomplished though and I usually keep one going if for no other reason but to remind myself that I did do at least one productive thing in a day.
Making a list of both small and larger tasks seems to work for me.

Theresa

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