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Chores. The very word sends kids (and sometimes husbands, too) scurrying for the nearest exit. In reality, most of us don’t enjoy doing chores but I do love the fruits of my labor. We are constantly bombarded with marketing that equates household tasks with frustration and difficulty. They sell us on a simple fix, ‘buy this and buy that and your life will be easier.’ This is the highway to cleaning gadget clutter. It’s no coincidence that we see chores as burdensome and overwhelming. In truth, few of these products ever seem to help. So certainly there has got to be a better way, right? Right. In my 8+ years of professional organizing, I can vouch that the more you prevent untidiness and develop strong organization systems, the more it will save you significant time, effort, and money down the road.
To get you started, I have developed the Ultimate Chore Chicklist. This list targets clutter hotspots and general up-keep tasks and allows you to delegate each task with a day to be performed and responsible party. Another feature is the separation between daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal tasks. This allows you to keep sight of larger projects and consider important tasks that change with the seasons.
→ Frequently asked question: How do I motivate my family?
I recommend a family meeting to discuss the importance of tasks and responsibilities as a whole family unit. Explain to your family what sharing the workload looks like, what it would mean to you and everyone else, and how it would give you more free time to spend as a family and less stress. Remember, honesty is the best policy. Help your family see and understand the benefit of extra time to do what they like over constant cleaning, chores, and living in stressful clutter. Also, try to make it fun, play upbeat music, dance, sing, or make a game of tidying up and before you know it, sharing the chores will no longer be an issue.
→ Frequently asked question: Can I reuse this Chicklist?
Absolutely. A great solution is to laminate it and use dry erase markers to keep track of tasks. I like to keep mine on the refrigerator so everyone can see it and take responsibility for his/her own tasks.
→ Frequently asked question: I’m interested in eco-friendly solutions, does this Chicklist address alternative ways to stay tidy?
Keeping an organized and Earth-friendly home is easy when you combine this Chicklist with our Earth Day blog: Clean It Up – Earth-friendly alternatives to common household tasks. This blog provides insight into keeping an organized and clean space without sacrificing green values.
→ Frequently asked question: Can I customize this Chicklist?
Don’t have a lawn to mow? No problem. I understand that a one-size Chicklist isn’t right for everyone so to address that, I’ve created a blank version where you can write in what matters most to you. This would be perfect for an office or shared workspace.
Remember, chores don’t have to be a source of frustration and stress. By enlisting the help of others you’ll achieve more in less time, spend less money on ‘fix-it’ products, and have more time for what really matters to you. Don’t forget to prevent clutter where you can, address messes as they happen, and stick to your organizational systems. And you don’t have to go it alone, Organized Chick is happy to get you started and inspire your group!
Contributed by S. Walter
