I was recently babysitting my younger grandkids. The four-year-old began playing with her food as four-year-olds do. Before I could intervene, the fruit cup spilled onto the floor.
Looking at the mess under the table she mumbled, “I didn’t see that coming.” Her response caught me by surprise, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
The funny thing is, that’s not the first spill as a result of playing with food, and yet she wasn’t expecting it. Doesn’t that sound just like us? We keep doing the same thing, expecting different results?
Telling a child to “stop spilling” won’t magically prevent messes. It takes time and a series of specific instructions to effect change. Lean over your plate. Use your spoon. Pick up the cup with both hands.
Likewise, we can tell ourselves to have a tidy bedroom, office, or pantry, but without specific steps and adjusting our habits, it won’t happen.
In their book, Switch – How to Change When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath say, “Small targets lead to small victories, and small victories can often trigger a positive spiral of behavior.”
A woman in a class I taught shared that after her husband died, she let things go and became completely overwhelmed with clutter. One day she started a little habit that equipped her to do increasingly more until she regained control of her home. She started making her bed every morning. It was a small victory that triggered a positive spiral of behavior.
Here are seven Timely Tips to guide your upward spiral.
Timely Tips for an upward spiral
1. SHRINK THE CHANGE
Chip and Dan say shrink the change. Having a tidy bedroom might sound wonderful but overwhelming. What about having a tidier bedroom?
2. SET A LIMIT
You can have a tidier bedroom in just ten minutes. Choose a ten-minute windowleaving yourself a little margin before you must be somewhere, just in case you get inspired and want to keep going.
3. CHOOSE A PORTION
Focus on just the floor of a bedroom or closet for starters. Go for the low-hanging fruit with a trash bag and laundry basket. Clear the floor of clothes and trash.
4. KEEP MOVING
Avoid getting hung up on things you don’t know what to do with. Box them up and use my "Keep or Toss" tip sheet to process them later.
5. FINISH THE JOB
Keep the focus on the floor until that space is clear or your timer chimes. Move shoes into the closet, books onto a shelf, etc. If your ten minutes is up before completion, schedule another ten-minute tidy.
6. SET A ROUTINE
Decide on a few small habits you’re willing to implement to keep the floor clear. Use a trash can and laundry basket daily as needed; place shoes and books where they belong after each use. Attach a “CHECK THE FLOOR” reminder to the bathroom mirror until this new habit becomes routine.
7. UP AND ONWARD
Move to dresser tops and nightstands with your 10-minute sessions--tossing, relocating, and creating simple routines to maintain your decluttered surfaces. Choose your next small target and continue your upward spiral ten minutes at a time.
wise words
Small deeds done, are better than great deeds planned. -Peter Marshall