Does your morning routine involve getting dressed and making your bed?
Starting your day with a little bit of productivity will boost your sense of accomplishment and give you momentum for whatever is next on your to do list.
It doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally spend half my day on my computer in my pj’s writing a course or creating a slide deck for my summer tutoring. Or that I judge people who take sick days and binge watch tv in bed. But in general, getting up and getting dressed is a good way to start your day. While I’m giving advice, let me suggest you also make your bed. It will look nice and you will feel accomplished. That little bit of productivity will carry over to your next task. It’s just about putting a little care and thought into your day. It’s setting the expectations for your day. It’s wanting to look good for your spouse or to set a good example for your kids. A little mascara and a little lip color go a long way. Pre Covid and pre masks, I never left my house without a little lipstick. I’ve gotten lazy. It’s time to step up my game again. It’s time to straighten my shoulders and tackle my to do list with diligence which starts with getting up and getting dressed. I want to smile more and sigh less. I want my attitude and my diligence to be contagious.
Making your bed each day is a rule at my house. My daughters didn’t always agree with the rule, but it was a habit I wanted to teach them. Somewhere along the years my husband and I came to the agreement that the last one out of the bed in the morning makes the bed. We have both been known to jump out of bed if we hear the other stirring just so we don’t have to make the bed. But honestly, I think it’s just such a kind act when my husband makes the bed for me. He knows I appreciate it, and he takes the two minutes to do it which motivates me to do it when it’s my turn.
Similarly, at the end of the day, I spend five minutes tidying up the kitchen and straightening up the pillows on the couch. I love getting up to a tidy house. When the kids were younger we often did a five minute pick up before dinner or bedtime. It’s just a good habit to get into. Again, I’m not judging a messy house, but I am nudging about lazy habits. Once small things begin to slide, it’s so easy to let everything slide.
These small things are possible at any stage of life. Recently I spent a week out of town babysitting 3 kids under 5. I made a point of setting out my clothes the night before. I got dressed before I got the kids up, even it if meant they played in their beds for an extra few minutes. I also tidied up after they went to bed. The mornings didn’t always go as planned, but I was dressed and ready for whatever came my way!
How about it? What little changes can you make this week to tidy up your house or routines and to encourage more smiles and less sighs? Toss in a load of laundry or fold the one that’s living in the dryer. Make your bed. Want to spread some joy? Make all the beds in your house as a surprise! Change into a clean outfit for dinner. Toss the junk mail in the recycling not on the countertop.
Need more motivation? Consider doing a word search in the Bible about being a sluggard or being diligent. If this isn’t something that you struggle with, PLEASE share some tips in the comment section below. I’d like to hear your tips for how to stay on top of little things like tidying up the house, getting dressed each morning, making the bed, or getting the dishes done.
Table talk: Who makes the beds at your house? What habits do you need to tidy up?
