Routines Turning to Habits

Continuing on from the post yesterday about sticking to routines, Fly Lady says that the bed time routine is more important than the mooring one.

I hadn’t been one to really do this as at bed time I was ready to just fall into bed and not even think about whether I had done a routine!

But Fly lady also has said to start it early. Over time I have done that and after a while I could see the good in it.

I have narrowed it down to suit and also realise I have started doing some of the things as habit anyway.

I also discovered although Harry has not seen the site he has actually been doing his own bed time routine for years. Our children have joked at him being OCD to an extent but I now know he is just setting everything up so he doesn’t have to worry about the morning, it’s just all there ready for him. He gets his clothes out the night before and gets them in the living area where he gets changed. His breakfast is all set up and things to make his lunch, the tablets he needs to take and he even has his cigarettes pre-rolled for the whole day, all this of his own doing.

I start in the late afternoon getting the things ready and just allowing me to have everything organised so that by the time I am ready for bed all is done. One would argue its not a 'night time' routine then but you know what I mean!

So my night time routine is 

1.      Check the calendar

a.      Collect items that are needed (it maybe items
to return, bills to pay etc)

b.      Set out clothes

c.      Arrange afternoon/evening (informing Harry
and Katrina if I am not going to be home)

2.      Kitchen/living areas

a.      Do the dishes

b.      Shine the sink (a Flylady saying)

c.      Hotspots* (this is a Fly lady expression and explained below)

3.      Bed

a.      Wash face and brush teeth

b.      Get into pyjamas

c.      Read

You may think living by routines is a bind and “who would let someone else tell you how to live” but I have seen the sense in it and after a while it just becomes a habit but it means all is in order. It’s adapted to me and our home, meaning it is “mine” not someone else’s control of me.

It works for me and gives me a sense of calm. If things pop up that are out of the ordinary the routine is still a part of me so it gets done and I am not “thrown off” by the change. 

It takes 21 days to form a habit so if you do anything daily for long enough it will just become apart of who you are and this applies to good and bad habits. It also means that if you want to break a bad habit its not something you can do over night but takes a daily commitment to 'fighting' it and putting something in place to change it.

*Hotspots are explained by Marla the Fly lady as a place where clutter or mess build and soon become an untidy mess. It’s the sort of place, where if it is kept tidy or clear, it will look good. But as soon as something is placed there, that shouldn’t be, it seems to attract more and so soon becomes an out of controlled mess. She suggests you keep working on these places keeping them clear. If it is cleared daily it won’t combust into a “burning mess”.

I find that the bench in the kitchen, the dining table and coffee table are all areas where this can happen so I try to keep them clear and tidy.