It’s been said over and over again that it takes 30 days to develop a habit. However,  in my case it technically took 3 years maybe even longer to establish these daily habits. The issue I was facing was I never consistently stuck with anything even after writing them down every single day in my Erin Condren Life Planner and knowing what needed to get done. 

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My problem is however once my dishes are done, sink and counters cleaned and my home somewhat decent my brain doesn’t process this until my sink is completely piled up , counters cluttered and paralyzed by the mess.

If you never read the first book from A Slob Comes Clean I highly suggest you do. She talks about this very specific issue and she also struggled with it. She calls it slob vision because unfortunately her brain would not process to clean until it was completely overwhelming. I highly recommend her book and check out her blog, not only is she completely real and honest, but also extremely funny. She also has a Podcast called Daily Deslobification by Noni @ A Slob Comes Clean. She was actually the very first person that helped get through my thick skull after listening to her book on Audible.  

But instead of doing these simple tasks ( I wrote about this in a previous blog post I will link here ) I would search Pinterest trying to find a solution to my problem I  already knew the answer to. Then we pil e kids into the mix,  work, school, kids activities, illnesses and maybe even something you yourself are struggling with, it is a never ending battle.

 Cleaning is the last thing on your mentally exhausted mind.

Fortunately there is a light at the end of that really dark tunnel and I finally somewhat found my way through. All though I do still slip back into my old ways more often then I would like to admit, I am starting to process the fact that I just cannot let certain things go anymore and it’s finally starting to stick. 

Hopefully, I can lend some inspiration to anyone who feels defeated with this post. Mom Life is so hard, we need to show support instead of Judgment and sympathy instead of rude comments.  What goes around comes around , I truly believe that.

7 Ways To Establish Daily Routines And Actually Stick With Them.  

1. Be Mindful & Consistent.  

This was a huge part of sticking to certain daily habits. I would get everything cleaned up but I wouldn’t notice the mess until it was overwhelming. Even though I was writing these tasks down every single day I still wasn’t doing them. Make a conscious effort to do certain tasks everyday and instead of just passing them by just do them. In the beginning it’s going to be very hard but eventually they will become natural.  

2. Pick Things Up & Put Them Right Away.

For example , I would take the cereal out of the pantry and leave the open box on my counter instead of taking the 3 seconds it actually takes to just put it away. This seems like a simple thing but for some of us it really is not. Also if you see something out of place , put it back right then and there. The more you put things off the more likely you are to forget about it.  

3. Stay On Top Of Your Kitchen & Control Junk Mail.  

Oh the dishes, how I always hated doing the dishes because I would let them pile up and I would put it off longer because it was nasty. Most of the time being completely honest I can’t do dishes everyday but if I make myself try and do them daily they won’t pile up like before. More so tackling the paper piles alone and cleaning/wiping your kitchen cabinets, refrigerator handles and stove will also make a tremendous difference. I have found using good dish washing gloves makes tackling unruly dishes so much easier  

4. Declutter Things Little By Little.

This is something I have been doing now for a while now , as an example I will clean out one or two junk drawers in the kitchen or like last night as I was emptying the bathroom trash, I got rid of the old broken hair tools , makeup bottles and hair product tops. By just doing that one thing I made 3/4 more space from underneath the powder room sink  

5. Use A Planner Or Make A List Daily.

I have been deep into paper planning along with the planner community now for 4 years. My favorite planner is The Erin Condren Life Planner among many others. There is just something about writing down my daily tasks with pen and paper that make it easier to stick. You can use a planner or even a post it note, whatever works for you. 

Psssst.....If you ever wanted to try a Erin Condren Life Planner you can save 10$ off your first order here.  

6. Try To Make Yourself Do Something Everyday - Even If It’s Just One Thing.

The key to developing a routine is being consistent. If you make yourself do certain things daily eventually you will do them without even thinking. For instance I struggled the most with my dishes, but once I made a effort to try and do them everyday it became so much easier as the weeks went buy.   

7. Quick Tidy Up & Clean Up Your Kitchen Before Bed.

There is nothing more stressful then waking into the kitchen first thing in the morning to find dirty dishes and counters still with food and crumbs from the night before. There are times I do the dishes, shine my sink and wipe my counters down before bed then sometimes I just rinse the dishes and run my garbage disposal along with wiping the counters before bed.Our baseball schedule is super hectic.  I may wake up to some dirty dishes but it’s nowhere near the way I used to leave the kitchen.

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I am still nowhere near perfect nor will I ever be but installing these tips made my home more manageable. Well as manageable as it’s gonna get with 4 kids, a cat and 3 story 4 bedroom home. Lastly,  I hope these tips have helped you. 

Now on to you.

Did you struggle with establishing habits or routines? If so do you think these tips may help you? 

I would love to hear what you have to say or add in the comments below. Talk to you soon.

💗 Jackie

Hi there, I am so glad you found my tiny space on the internet.  My name is Jackie and I am a 37 year old married stay at home mom of 4 ages 3,8,11 (boys) and 20 (girl) . I am a planner addict along with bullet journal wannabe. I share tips and inspiration on paper planning , bullet journal tips, organization tips , productivity advice and establishing routines. Most importantly I am just one imperfect mom trying to help anyone out there that needs advice, just to talk or a friend.