Athlete-inspired Strategies to Get Your Home Back on Track

Procrastination takes a whole new meaning when it comes to cleaning your home. Keeping up with the household work can be a real struggle, especially in the lazy summer days. The looming, tedious and unpleasant tasks can easily make you decide you’d be better off leaving the job for later. Eventually the mess piles up and you feel even less motivated to grab the broom and just get it done. But don’t get discouraged just yet. Try these athlete-inspired strategies that will help you cross the finish line and get your home back on track. 

Set a Timer

Using a timer can seriously improve your focus and your productivity during home cleaning. Think about the athletes on the field, who track their time and strive to improve it. In the same way, you can divide your household cleaning job into small intervals and try to complete it within a certain time frame. This is also known as “time boxing”. One of the most popular time management methods is the Pomodoro technique. It is named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer and derives from the Italian word for tomato. The idea is simple - you set a timer to 25 minutes and work without interruptions for each interval before you take a break.

When you break down the mountainous work into smaller bits, you will feel less overwhelmed and more motivated when you the immediate results of your efforts. According to studies people are less excited when presented with a bigger task that will take longer time to complete.  Whether you prefer to split the job into manageable pieces or you want to speed up your house cleaning, carrying a timer while tidying up can help you focus on the work and get it done more quickly.

Photo Finish

Seeing your place from a different perspective can help you spot issues that have gone unnoticed for years. On the other hand, it can also reveal the full potential of your decor. Snap a quick photo of your place on your phone. You will be amazed at all the things you will discover about your place like the excessive amount of clutter you have, without even realizing it. Whether it is a wall, shelving or an entire room, a photo of your home allows you to see the space more objectively. This is a great starting point when de-cluttering or re-styling your home, end even for thorough spring cleaning.

Make an Inspiration Marathon

Inspiration can give you the extra surge of motivation to carry out your house cleaning tasks. Check your favourite design sources, be it books, Pinterest boards and pins or house tours. The clean floors, organized closets and neat rooms will inspire you to give extra care to your home. Many people are prone to indulging their browsing habits in the evening, while relaxing, or in the middle of a busy day, while taking a break. Actually the best time to go through your design inspirations is in the weekends when you are not tired and you have time to do your household tasks. Pick a day and make a plan of what you exactly you need to clean. Before you start, scroll through your decor sources. A quick look at your favourite house tours and design images will quickly get you in the mood for some domestic cleaning.

Procrastination can sometimes be hard to beat, but you have to fight it with all the weapons you have at hand. Don’t postpone your house cleaning and use these simple tricks borrowed from the professional athletes to aid you in getting through the hard work more easily.