Clutterbug - Real-Life Hacks and Tips to Declutter, Organize and Clean your Home Fast - SAHM Motivation | Clutterbug Podcast # 17

Episode Date: March 31, 2017

Being a stay-at-home mom is hard. The hardest part? Self motivating!  Set yourself up for success by organizing and planning to be the best you that you can be.  Do you want to be the kind of Mom who crafts? Bakes? Goes on amazing nature adventures? A little planning and organization can make sure that you accomplish all of those goals!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey guys and welcome back to the Clutterbug podcast. Today I want to talk about sort of living more intentionally, living a more intentional life. And what I mean by that is finding that motivation to make every day the best it can be and make sure that every day you're not sort of wasting those precious hours. And I think as a stay-at-home parent and a work from home mom now, I struggled with that. I struggled to motivate myself. I don't have a boss. I don't have any, you know, deadlines. I don't have any reason to even get dressed in the morning.

And even though my kids, you know, they love when we do arts and crafts and go places, they're just as happy to stay in your PJs and eat junk food and watch cartoons all day. So it's easy to fall into a sort of rut because why? Why bother putting in the effort day after day after day? most of the time it's never really appreciated and you're not seeing those really immediate results from all of your work and effort so I fell into a definite rut many many many times but I want to tell you how I got out of that rut and how I continue to get all those little ruts when I fall back in which I tend to do from time to time the easiest way for me to make myself um sort of motivated from the

first thing I do when I get up is I laid out my clothes the night before. So I would take my clothing and lay it out on the, on the dresser or hang it on the back of the door in the bathroom the night before. And so I didn't have that excuse, that laziness excuse first thing in the morning. So I'd get up and I'd see my clothing right there. It was already picked. I didn't have to think about it. And for me, that was a big, one of the big reasons why I didn't get dressed in the morning. I stayed in my pajamas was just laziness. It was just the fact that I was too lazy to go to the closet and pick something out. And I'm going to admit that to you. That's exactly what it was. It was just the lack of the motivation. But when it was already picked out for me, it was easier to get dressed.

And then once I got dressed, I continued on brushing my teeth, doing my hair, putting on a bit of makeup. It just, it was sort of the catalyst, I guess, the catalyst for starting my day. And for whatever reason for me I have a little bit more motivation at night than I do in the morning. So when I take the time to do things like set out my breakfast shake in the morning or, you know, prepare a healthy breakfast but have it ready the night before and lay my clothes out the night before when I'm feeling that sort of motivation to do that in the morning when I'm dragging it and I'm just like, oh, I can't do anything. I can piggyback on the motivation that I had the night before. And I find this method to be extremely, extremely effective for me.

I also make sure that I write my to-do list for the day the night before as well. So I write down sort of my nightly to-do list includes preparation for the next morning. Because I'm not a morning person. I've never been a morning person. And I'm definitely a night person. So I work with my strengths. And I do that planning and that prep so that my morning is smooth. So I plan my breakfast and the first snack the next day. I write a few things that I want to

accomplish the next day. I lay out my clothing. I get things all ready for the next day and when I wake up, even groggy and out of it, I can just sort of easily jump into my day with the things that I have planned. The other thing I do every morning is I make my bed, which, you know, sometimes I'm like, I'm just going to get back into it later. I say the same excuse that everybody who doesn't make their bed says, you know, I'm just going to get back into it. But it really is magic. When you take the time to make your bed, not only does your bedroom look better, you're way less likely to crawl back under those covers. Let's be completely honest. But it gives you a boost of energy. It's like a cup of coffee in the morning. It's crazy. But it will boost

your energy a little bit. You've already accomplished something in the day. It already makes you feel great. And any time throughout that day that you walk back into that bedroom and see that made bed, you're going to feel that sort of boost all over again and that little surge of energy all over again. So let's talk about parenting and how to be the best parent that you can be. For me, I really enjoy doing arts and crafts with my kids, but I have these grandiose ideas of doing these projects with them. And then when I am motivated and I do have the time and it's the perfect time to do something with them, I'm never prepared. So I don't have the things ready to go.

And so then they don't get done. And then the times, you know, where I'm not feeling like doing the crafts. And if I already had this stuff prepared and it was a good time, it's so much easier to just jump in. So what I do, I plan on the beginning of every month. I go on Pinterest and I search some really easy crafts that have to do with like the season. So Easter's coming up. I want to do egg decorating. So I made sure to write it on my list and the next time I went to the dollar store I got some Easter egg decorating kits with no idea of when I'm going to do it in my mind

but having it on hand. And I also, we are really into Harry Potter. So I got some wood skewers, like some wood dowling and sandpaper and brown paint. And I've had all the supplies for Harry Potter wands on hand. So when the time arises and we are watching a Harry Potter movie on a rainy day, it's the perfect time to say, you know what, let's make some Harry Potter wands, you guys. And I have the supplies already ready. Now, I don't suggest buying a bazillion things, a bazillion craft supplies and having them always on hand because that can become overwhelming. But picking individual projects that are seasonal based or something that you know you might want to do and having that prepared ahead of time for when those occasions arise really make sure that

I am that parent that sits in does crafts and sits in colors with my kids or we make Harry Potter wands or you know we bake cookies. I make sure that we're always having, you know, the supplies on hand to not only bake cookies but decorate them because there are times where I'm just like, you know what, guys, let's bake cookies. And it's nice having that all on hand at those times. That's the parent I want beat, but I'm not that parent all the time. I get, you know, busy and life is busy and I'm unmotivated sometimes or I'm in a bad mood, but there are those times when I am ready to be the mom that I want to be. So having it prepared and ready for those times is key to making it happen. I guess it's all about sort of organization. I guess this is the point, isn't it? I prepare my days

by getting organized the night before and I prepare to be a better parent by. I'm a better parent by organizing the supplies I need to do the things I love to do with my kids ahead of time so I have it ready because you know if it was like okay let's make Harry Potter runs and we want if we have to load them in the car and run out and get the supplies and get back by that time you have to make another meal and and the feeling of wanting to spend even more time with them crafting is long gone so it's nice to have the supplies ahead of time the other way that I really help sort of keep myself motivated is by I keep a list of things that I want to accomplish and then I check them off as I

accomplish them. And I'm not talking just about like vacuuming the house. I mean goals, like my home or my personal or my family's goals. And I write them on a list and I have the list right on my desk and some of them won't happen for years. Some of them could happen in the next week. And I just have like an ongoing list that I keep because every time I check something off, it gives me such a sense of accomplishment, but it's also really rewarding just to glance at the sheet and see all the things that I've already checked off. It's also a visual reminder when I do have a few spare minutes or a spare afternoon on a Saturday and I'm like, oh, I'm so bored or what am I going to do? I can glance at that list and remind myself of the things I really want to get done that I forget.

I forget, you know, that I want to make new curtains. Or I forget that I really want to repaint the front door. And when I have these all on a list and I've sorted them by time, things that, you know, are quick projects, medium time-length projects, and more extensive projects, I can take a look at those and just pick something off the list because I've already taken the time to plan and write things out and have it already. And I cannot tell you how many times.

Maybe I can just have ADHD or something. or I'm really forgetful, but I cannot tell you how many times I'm like, hey, Joe, I want to make Milo a new headboard or, oh my gosh, let's redo Milo's room. And he's like, I thought you wanted to make a sign for on top of the fireplace. And I'm like, oh yeah, I totally forgot about that. So every time I get these ideas in my head of things I want to do or places I want to go, I write it on my master list. So I don't forget. So I'm always motivated and so I'm always reminded of the things that I've already accomplished. And it just makes me happy to take a look at that list every day. So I definitely recommend if you're like me and you have a bigillion things you want to do all the time and you're here

there and all the place and you forget some of the things you wanted to do. And then every day it's a new thing you want to buy or a new thing you want to make or a new place you want to go. Having a master list can really help you stay focused and stay motivated to get all of your dreams done. So I wanted to thank you guys so much. I just wanted to share that little bit of, I guess, stay-at-home mom-ness motivation with you. If you are a stay-at-home parent, I know how hard it can be. It's hard. It's hard to stay. It's hard to self-motivate, especially if you're an impulsive person or, yeah, you know, you don't have anyone to really hold you accountable. It's hard to, if you have little kids, they're not going to hold you accountable. It's hard to self-motivate. It's hard to be.

because you're doing the same thing day in and day out. And it's very isolating without other people to talk to. So I feel you. It doesn't last forever, unless you homeschool them, it lasts forever. But I feel your pain. There is light at the end of the tunnel. And if you decide after your kids have gone to school like me to continue being, I work from home, I guess. I'm a stay-at-home parent, but I work now full-time from home. You're going to, you're going to have to, to learn to overcome those same challenges. You're going to have the exact same challenges. So doing it early is definitely better.

So try some of those tips today. And thank you guys so much for listening. I'll see you next time. Rosen lasagna, medium power, 15 minutes. Sounds like Ojo time. Let's play. Feel the fun with Playojo. The online casino with all the latest slot and live casino games.

What you win is yours. to keep with no wagering requirements, instant payouts, and no minimum withdraws. Hey, I just won. Woohoo! Feel the fun! Hey, oh Joe! Honey, forget about the lasagna. Let's celebrate!

19 plus Ontario only, please play responsibly. Concerned about your gambling or that of someone close to you, call 1866-3-1-2600, or visitconXontera.comnetsoot.ca.