When I was married we lived next to an elderly couple who where darn spritely for their 90+ years. They had been married since their teens and apart from his time in the army, they never spent time apart. They also never had children. What they did have was routine. Monday evenings if I was pegging out the washing I would smell the fish cooking and see the neighbours cats lining up by their gate. Even the cats knew Monday night was fish treat night for them. So Monday was fish night, Tuesday was wash day Friday was shopping day and so on it went and always had been. I would marvel at their ability to stick to a routine and also silently laughed how boring their life must be to be so stuck in a routine.
Now I am rethinking my own working set up as its seems to have stopped working. It was working ok when I first went self employed. I use to be very disciplined keeping to working hours ( well if to be truefull working a bit too much) but now my get up and go has run off with my botheration. I think I need a better routine to kick me back into a better working structure. I am lucky that my working hours can be what ever I want them to be i.e morning, evenings or even the dead of night , but lately I have found a new fascination in housework. Sorry I should have had a warning before I threw that statement at you as it is quiet shocking. It was only yesterday the lovely, expensive feather duvet was banished in favour of a synthetic duvet as I had enough of the unevenness the feathers were giving my newly made bed.
So what’s my plan? I think if I went to the full on routine my elderly neighbours had I would soon go around the bend. So i think I need a more kinder version of their routine. I need to set rules and chores for the children as its got that I am doing everything and that I am now realising is wrong. It doesn’t teach the children anything, it could turn them into spoilt children who think everything should always be done for them and they would never leave home. I don’t have to a fresh meal cooked and ready for them when they get in the door in fact I will drag out the slow cooker, look up some slow cooker recipes and get that doing all the hard work. I will give myself set hours I can do the housework and anything that’s not done in that time frame can wait. I am pretty sure no one has died from carpets not being hovered every day.
I also want to get out more in the garden as last year not a single thing grew in the garden or veg plot and I have been rather inspired by a friend who even has to-do lists for her garden. The weather is mainly to blame and we all know how upside down and all over the place it is so my working hours will remain flexible to accommodate sun days as there is something rather lovely about sitting in the evening sun with the netbook working whilst my legs slightly hurt form the long walk I have done and my nose feels slightly sunburnt from the afternoon walk too. ppsstt can someone get me another cider please?
I’m glad you’ve been inspired! I like being organised but it doesn’t always work out that way x