Dear FlyLady,
I am not a person that sticks with habits. It takes me more than the usual 28 days than it does everyone else. Usually if I skip the routine, it will be a long time before I can get back into it again. Once a habit sticks, though, it sticks. There is one routine that, no matter what, I cannot make myself NOT do it. So much so it has become an annoyance on laundry day. There is not enough laundry for everyday, so twice a week is usually the norm for me. The night before the laundry day that I do sheets, I make a note to myself not to make the bed when I get up so I can take the sheets off. By the time I get back from breakfast to throw them in the laundry, I see the bed has been made and now I have to unmake it to do the laundry. This has been going on ever since I took FlyLady’s advice to make the bed upon rising. I don’t even remember that I did it. Usually it is, get up, go to the bathroom, wash face, then go make bed, on to breakfast. The bed is always pretty looking and makes the room inviting when I come back.
I remember reading somewhere on the FlyLady site one time that even if your husband is in the bed, make it anyway but just your side. I do not have a husband. I do ,however, have an elderly cat that sleeps in bed with me, who does not want to get up when I do. When I get up, I just make the bed around him as he doesn’t get up right away. (elderly and arthritis) Later, I go back and fix the wrinkles where he was laying. It makes such a difference.
My morning routine is to do a 5 min. spot clean of my bedroom and the guest bedroom when starting the day after breakfast. It includes dusting. I am trying to add a routine of making sure there are just a few necessary items on the night stands after making the bed and going to breakfast. I have chosen the number of three. (book, kleenex box, and lamp) It has taken less than 28 days to become ingrained and the bedroom looks so nice when I come back to do the 5 min. routine that it doesn’t even take 5 min.
Thank you for suggesting to make the bed upon rising my first routine. It makes the rest of the day go well, and I feel pleased when I see the bed made and bedroom looking special.
April in Florida
