You’ve Got the Magic in Your Pocket with Today with Terri K
Does it feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with all the things that need to be done? We've ALL been there! Today I'm joined by Terri from Today With Terri K and we're talking tips and tricks for getting the best things done – and I'm gonna give you a hint right here up front! The secret sauce of getting things done lies in those small pockets of time throughout your day. Listen in!
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Tasha talks with Terri from Today with Terri K about her daily routine.
A NON-NEGOTIABLE
One thing Terri has figured out for herself is that there are a few non-negotiables in her routine. One is making her bed every day, a task that she used to tell herself would take 30 minutes to complete. Once she timed herself and realized it only took three and a half minutes, she quit making the excuse she didn’t have time. Now, making her bed gives her a great sense of accomplishment to start her day.
POPSICLE ANALOGY
Terri has learned that when she has a little bit of energy or she’s on a phone call, that she can use the time to tidy up or do little tasks. She doesn’t have to finish the task, but she’s made progress and it’s better than it was.
She has noticed the more she does this, the faster the cleaning goes and the easier it is. It’s like a Popsicle. If a popsicle melted on your counter today and you see it, you pick up the stick, wipe the mess away with a paper towel, and it’s done.
But, if you leave it there for a day or two, it will dry and that is the hardest thing to clean and requires so much more work to get it up. It’s much better to spend three minutes cleaning something when it’s not hard to do, rather than put if off and it then takes 30 minutes of scrubbing and frustration.
USING DISTRACTIONS
Distraction works for everything that we don’t truly want to do. Find a TV show or a podcast that you really enjoy and watch or listen only when you are doing tasks that are not enjoyable.
This is very similar to habit stacking where you take something you are already in the habit of doing or are inclined to do anyway and pair it with something you aren’t inclined to do or is less enjoyable. An example would be starting to unload the dishwasher while you are waiting for your coffee to brew.
GRACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
We have to learn to give ourselves grace, but also hold ourselves accountable. There is always something you can do when you stop trying to make excuses. Instead of worrying about completing the entire task, think about what can you do right now in this moment. Start with five minutes. A little bit every day adds up and it all counts.
WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS
We need to realize that a task doesn’t take as long as our brain wants us to think it does. We just need to use those pockets of time we have and realize that so much can be done in those margins. That’s where the magic happens.
Consider the time spend scrolling on the phone. Social media is designed to keep us mindlessly scrolling. Instead, realize that is a pocket of time where you can make progress on a cleaning task you need to do or have been putting off.
Work on the cleaning for a few minutes and then take a break to scroll on your phone or watch TV. Just set limits on how much time you will allow yourself to do that.
PRIORITIES AND HOME MANAGEMENT
While cleaning is important, it’s not the only responsibility we have. If you have little ones at home, remember that your number one goal is teaching them while they are at home with us. This may mean adjusting expectations about how much we can do.
Terri sets up a list of her top three or top five things she wants to get done in a day, and they can’t all be cleaning. Other things are important, too, such as moving our body and spending time with family.
As managers of our home, we need to stop feeling guilty about all of the little things that don’t get done. We would never work at a job where we never got time off, never got a break, or never left our desks. We wouldn’t survive.
As moms, we tend to think we are chained to the house doing all the things, but that’s just not realistic. So replace the guilt with more of a management mindset of what needs to be a priority right now.
CHOOSING A CLEANING METHOD
Terri found the Fly Lady system and jumped right in trying to do everything all at once. After a few failed attempts, she realized she needed to do one little extra thing each day and build habits. She wanted to go faster, but knew that was not the answer.
After a few years, she had grown to the point where she was able to adapt the Fly Lady routine into something that worked best for her and her lifestyle. She was even able to incorporate other cleaning methods, picking and choosing the parts that resonated with her.
We are all different with different personalities. It’s okay to change a cleaning plan you find online to work better for you.
FAILURES
You haven’t really failed if you’ve tried a routine, or many routines, and they didn’t work for you. More than likely, if you’ve continued trying, there are pieces that are sinking in that you may not realize. With each failure, you’re actually bumping up the scale and making progress.
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