7 Ways To Share Chores And Make Your Life Easier
7 Ways To Share Chores And Make Your Life Easier
Some households have learned to balance the workload so that no one is overloaded. Unfortunately, that scenario is the exception rather than the rule. In most homes, one or two people handle most of the responsibilities; not necessarily a problem—until it is.
As adults, we expect to be responsible for our homes and families. However, if the weight of the responsibilities becomes too heavy, it’s time to make some changes. Rather than working harder, work smarter by simplifying life where you can and delegating when you can.
Simplify
“Less stuff to manage makes it easier to manage my stuff.” An ecstatic client shared this with me after we decluttered and re-thought key rooms in her home. She’s right! Removing clutter makes a home look better. However, re-thinking and downsizing furniture and possessions that aren’t clutter but also aren’t actively needed, takes you to the next level of having a manageable home.
Schedules are the same way. Eliminate “clutter” in your schedule–the things that take time without giving you enough value–but don’t stop there. Eliminate commitments that, although they may be good, aren’t best for you now.
Delegate
The cold, hard truth is that you can’t do it all. If you could, you would be doing it. Thankfully, there are a host of people who can help you.
Kids – Kids can and should start helping around the house at an early age. But let’s be honest. Initially, it takes more time to train a child to do chores than to do them yourself. And this remains true for a while. But don’t be fooled! Train your child as an investment in their future so they become more capable adults. Eventually, you’ll be surprised how much help they are to you.
Spouses – Work is rarely divided 50/50 between spouses. Sometimes one spouse does more than the other, but as long as it’s equitable over time, there isn’t a problem. The problem is when one spouse consistently does more than the other. And even worse, one spouse may seem to sabotage the efforts of the other. Step back and make some changes starting with COMMUNICATION. The goal is to lose the “I” and find the “we.”
House cleaner – Some people love to clean their homes—but not many. If you’re part of the majority who don’t love to clean, why not hire a house cleaner? If hiring someone bi-weekly would pinch your budget, schedule the cleaner to come once a month. You’ll need to clean between visits, but knowing that help is coming takes the edge off. If this is still too much for your budget, have the cleaner come once a month and clean only the kitchen and bathrooms. It’s still a huge help.
Landscaping – You may love gardening but don’t feel the same way about mowing. Or spring and fall yard clean-up. Why not outsource the work you don’t love? Shop for a lawn service to handle mowing, yard clean-up, or the other landscaping tasks you put off or do grudgingly.
Food – Meal kit services such as HelloFresh and Everyplate are excellent resources. You can subscribe to a food services to deliver exact quantities of food to your home each week and save grocery shopping and meal preparation time. They typically offer very efficient ways of cooking, so you’ll use fewer pots and pans and save clean-up time too.
Laundry – Consider using a laundry service. You can hire people to pick up your laundry, wash and fold it, and bring it back to you on a regular or pay-as-you-go basis. If your budget allows for doing this regularly, go for it! If not, it may be a good option when you’re extra busy or need a break.
Professional organizer – Are you struggling to figure out how to get the help you need? Are you wondering how your budget or spouse will feel about paying for extra help? It’s worth the investment and I can show you how! As a professional organizer, I not only help people remove the physical clutter in their homes, I help them navigate the processes and people in their lives to unjumble life. I’d love to help you!
No one can do it all. It’s OK to bring in help when you need it!
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