10 Creative Ways to Clean House and Motivate Yourself to Get Going

Instead of a blog post that goes deeply into getting your motivation going, I want to make a list of creative ways to get it going.  Hopefully, this will be a reference list that will help you (and me) on those days you don't feel like cleaning.  Warning:  this list is for days you feel well enough to work or for low motivation days, not for days you need to give your body a rest.

1. Cleaning and getting rid of clutter can be fun by making a game out of it:  i,e., ( FlyLady Bingo).
2. Make a daily list of 3 to 6 things to do -- nothing is too small for the list if you need to do it.  You don't have to do the whole list if you fade.  Listen to your body.
3. Get dressed  in comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes and work for 15 minutes.  If you need it, take a break after getting dressed.   
4. Put relaxing music on if you feel stressed or anxious.
5. Put dancing music on if you would like to make some smooth moves as you work, and the upbeat music should help you be in the mood to move.
6. If you are watching television, how much can you get done during a commercial?  Start working around the room, cleaning off hot spots that fill up with clutter.  
7. Other things you can do during commercials is clean off a book shelf, dust, run the vacuum in one area of the room, go through a box of papers, put away some of the laundry in your laundry basket, and make picking up the toys in the room a game for your kids or grandkids.
8. Wear your blue tooth on your ear and talk to a friend:  you could clean at the same time. 
9. Fill one trash bag.  Joshua Becker says that this could be a bag that you fill with trash or for giving to Goodwill.  I don't recommend mixing trash and give-a-ways, so I would let it be one or the other.
10.  Dana Byers says when you are done with one area, you should stop:  then, celebrate the victories.  Does this sound familiar?  Make a list of rooms you need to clean.  Underneath each room list some of the things you want to get done.  If your house has been cluttered for a long time, you do not have to do everything in one day.  Choose what you think is sensible to do in one day for your energy level.  Also, consider that you could be using muscles you have not  been using.  Start in the easiest room to clean or start in the room you use most often.  Do not over-do.  i.e., (clean out one or two drawers in your dresser; clean off one table; dust the room; vacuum one room or vacuum half a room)  The key is baby-steps or breaking a big job into smaller components. 

Don't use all these ideas in one day.  Pick one that appeals to you;  then you can say, "On my mark, get set, and here I go!".  We have variations to work with, and I think we can come up with more.  In fact, sometimes, we just have to come up with more to get ourselves going again.  Don't forget to use your timer.  Whee!

Your Loving Cheerleader,

Deborah