Here we are, already on Month #3! If you are like me at all,
the disruption of Covid-19, and the ensuing decision to shelter-in-place(so far
a personal choice in my section of the country), caused my floor mopping month
to lag. The thing I find encouraging about continuing this challenge and adding
a 3rd habit when I did not fully cultivate the 2nd one,
is that this habit is going to be a little different.
So far we have dealt with a habit that encompassed a larger
chunk of time 3x a week. I found with this type of habit growth, that it often
just slipped my mind. Unlike doing the dishes or brushing my teeth, it was not
a daily habit, but instead merely a frequent one. That is going to change this
month. Get ready, because this month I am challenging you to cultivate a DAILY
habit!!
I love the way that God works, because I decided the order
of these habits mostly on a whim. I literally wrote them down as they came to
me. So the first habit I thought of was for February, the second for March,
etc. And now that April is here, the habit I had chosen at random for this
month fits so perfectly with one of my largest quarantined struggles….my living
room.
What with two small cooped up children and some sickness in
our home, rather than catch up on housework and finding myself bored, I found
that I could not seem to keep up with the usual tasks. I managed to wash most
of the dishes each day, keep us fed, and have been washing, drying, or putting
away laundry non-stop. However, every night before I go to bed and every
morning when I wake up, I notice that once again the living room has been left
a mess.
Sure we pick up toys and dishes and such throughout the day,
but during the last few weeks it is definitely my living room that has suffered
the most. Because…well…we are constantly living
in it. This is why I am delighted in the providence of God for planning
this small thing; that I might know beforehand to focus on the daily care of my
most lived in room.
Thus we have arrived at our April habit. I will not go into
detail over my March habit success, simply know that it was disrupted by
Covid-19, but not forgotten. Also know that though this month does call us to a
monthly habit, it is one filled with more grace. A perfect fit I think for
these unprecedented times.
April 2020 Habit!!
Tidy your Living Room Every Night.
Want to know the best part about this month? No levels; at
least not in the traditional sense! If you don’t have a lot of time or energy
for this challenge, try to accomplish 3-5 minutes before bed. If you have a
normal amount of energy, shoot for 7-10 minutes. And if you really want to
challenge yourself, tidy your living room for 12-15 minutes. That’s it!
This is the entirety of this challenge. I will share Tips n
Tricks, and a few ideas for how one could involve kids in this habit, but all
in all it is a very simple habit to create, even if it is a daily one.
Tips n Tricks:
-Throw on some music! Pick 1-5 energetic songs depending on
your energy level each night, and simply clean until the song(s) are over!
-Want to accomplish more in less time? Grab a basket and a
garbage bag. Put anything that belongs in the living room in its correct spot,
throw garbage in the bag, and put anything that doesn’t belong in the living
room into the basket. You can either then put the laundry basket away, or even
leave it as the first thing to do in the morning(would only recommend this for
those who have more energy in morning than at night.)
-Plan to relax in the living room once it is tidied? Light a
candle or grab a favorite throw as your last task.
-If the living room is mostly tidied, but your kids are in
bed and you don’t want to run the vacuum cleaner, simply “hand-vacuum” real
quick. Pick up the larger crumbs, pieces of trash on the floor, etc. Don’t forget
to wash your hands afterwards. J
-Extra tasks in living room: Clear a surface, grab a new
blanket/pillow for the furniture, dust, throw up a new picture, or put flowers
on top of piano/bookshelf.
Get Kids Involved:
-Instead of doing this right before you go to bed, do it
right before kids bedtime.
-Little children can be given one item that they are in
charge of picking up. For instance one could do garbage, one put any books back
on the shelf, and a third could pick up toys.
-Middle aged children could be in charge of a certain chunk
of time. Such as before they go to bed, they clean 3-5 minutes, and then you do
another 3-5 to finish before bed.
-Middle or older children could also be in charge of some of
the extras such as putting flowers in a vase somewhere in the room or dusting.
-Older children could help you with this habit by being in
charge of 1-2 nights of the week so you can go to bed early or when you are out
of the house till late,
I am thoroughly excited to start this habit! I very much
look forward to waking up to a clean living room each day!! I hope that you
find grace in this habit. I will once again be sharing my successes, failures,
and thoughts concerning this habit on my Instagram page. And anyone new is free
to join this challenge at any time! Share this with anyone you think might be
blessed, share your own successes and failures on social media, and feel free
to use the hashtag “2020habitchallenge.”
Other Posts in this Series:
The Habit Challenge: For All Those Like Me Who Can't Catch Up
February Habit! -2020 Habit Challenge
March Habit!-2020 Habit Challenge
Other Posts in this Series:
The Habit Challenge: For All Those Like Me Who Can't Catch Up
February Habit! -2020 Habit Challenge
March Habit!-2020 Habit Challenge
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