6 Ways to Be More Productive Around the Home

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By Katie Bennett, creator of Embracing a Simpler Life.

I am not naturally a on-top-of-it or productive homemaker.

As a child I was messy, and probably even lazy, when it came to keep my room clean. Those tendencies were harder to overcome than I expected when I finally had a home of my own to care for.

I wanted this peaceful, put-together home, but yet I struggled to overcome the idleness-overwhelm-exhaustion-repeat cycle.

However, through the years, I have dug deep and worked hard to retrain my habits. Now, I’m happy to say I have a home that functions pretty well! In fact, I now teach overwhelmed and unmotivated homemakers how to implement strategic habits, mindset shifts, and projects to achieve the very same break through. (find my online course here)

I’ve also learned a few helpful (and even surprising) tricks that make a big difference in my daily productivity! And thus I give you…

6 Ways to Be More Productive Around the Home

1. Give up the things that waste your time.

Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy.

When we set boundaries around the things that draw us to idleness, we will naturally become more productive people, not just in our homes, but in life.

What in your day is contributing to idleness? Is it social media? Is it Netflix? Is it something else? Why not re-evaluate by fasting from whatever is holding you back for a few weeks? Get creative!

For me, this initially meant deleting the Facebook and Pinterest apps from my smartphone. Eventually, it meant getting rid of our TV altogether, which I LOVE…. read about that here.

2. Wear comfortable athletic shoes.

I used to be the “barefoot” type (mostly because it seemed cool), but I eventually realized that the slight discomfort of walking this way on our hard floors was subconsciously holding me back.

Now when I wake up in the morning I put on my athletic shoes, and suddenly I’m energized.

The spring is literally back in my step, and I’m ready to go. After all, it takes quite a few steps to put a house back in order with preschool-aged children at home all day, so the right shoes make a surprisingly big difference for me.

3. Discover podcasts.

For those who don’t know, a podcast is basically a radio program on demand, usually averaging about 30 minutes in length I would say.

There exists a vast library to choose from on almost any topic. Some of my two personal favorites currently are Risen Motherhood and Heidi St. John. I put my ear buds in and press play. I am thoroughly entertained as I scrub toilets and fold laundry. …In fact, I even look forward to these tasks in a weird way because that’s my podcast time!

It’s a great way to multitask. And I’m learning and growing too!

4. Work against the clock.

I’m not sure what this says about my motivational style. but setting a timer and telling myself I only have 30 minutes to clean up gets me going. I will get 50% more done as compared to aimlessly cleaning without a deadline or goal.

I also race against the clock to clean up the kitchen while my tea is brewing (read about that here). It’s fun!

5. Go to bed early. (Then get up early)

Early to bed and early to rise makes a [wo]man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

-Benjamin Franklin

Too often we allow ourselves to stay up later than we should. Maybe we crave the quiet after our children are in bed. Maybe we get sucked in by TV. Maybe we tell ourselves we’re having “quality time” with our spouse but we’re really not. Or maybe you have a good reason to stay up late.

However, if possible, I have found it greatly increases my productivity to go to bed early. It may take a lot of self-control, but it will pay big dividends when you are able to wake up earlier and get a jump start on your day.

This is my favorite time to spend reading the Bible and praying, centering on God before the craziness ensues.

6. Develop a routine for daily tasks.

This may happen naturally over time, but it’s also helpful to get out paper and pencil and plan what you want to get done each day and week. I have one chore that I do each week day. This is a written plan that I can reference. I also have about five daily routines that help keep our home in some semblance of order.

These routines (along with the self-discipline to stick with them) are critical to the effectiveness of my home.

What do you do to be more productive around the home?

 

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Do you ever wonder how some women make running a home look so natural?

I certainly have!

However, after many years of watching my friends who do this well, and after much trial and error, I’ve boiled it all down to 3 essential daily habits. With these 3 habits in place, a home can function pretty well! Without them, it will be perpetual catchup.

While I used to feel like a failure as a homemaker, I know feel a sense of success and satisfaction.

I’d love to share these 3 simple (secret) daily habits with you. If you focus your energy into establishing them, I believe you will achieve the same breakthrough in your homemaking that I did.

Can I share my secrets with you?

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