Spring clean your home, work, life

Yesterday was the first day of Spring and the traditional time of year for a ‘spring clean’ around the house.
So why not take the opportunity to spring clean your work and your life too.
Throw away what’s not working or doesn’t ‘fit’ any more - your beliefs, behaviours, attitudes, habits?
What habits are holding you back or getting in your way?
What do you want to do? Spring clean, declutter and clear out an old habit, bring in new habits.
Spring Clean ... At Home
Now housework is rarely top of my priority list and strange as it may seem, something that comes up in client sessions more often than you might think.
Especially with parents trying to manage the house around running a business and looking after a family.
Use the little and often approach and create routines to tackle housework or decluttering. Especially if you spread it out across the week, instead of spending hours at the weekend.
Work in zones
Divide your house or living space into 5 or 6 zones. Allocate 4-6 days in each zone across the month and you’ll be able to cover the whole house over the course of a month.
For instance:
- Living room
- Kitchen, utility room
- Main bedroom + ensuite and/or landing
- Main Bathroom + one extra room
- Entrance hall, stairs, dining area
Divide any other rooms across the zones depending on the room size and how much use it gets - bedrooms, study etc.
Start where you are. By working in each zone over the course of a month, you’ll start to make an impact. The more you do, the easier and quicker it gets.
Simple routines
Create a series of daily, weekly and monthly routines for each zone so you can keep on top of things and stop them building up. For example:
Daily routine … This is a quick once over not a deep clean (15-20 minutes).
- Make beds
- Wipe down bathroom surfaces
- Wipe down kitchen surfaces
- Tidy hotspots - put things back/away where they belong
Weekly routine … Once a week or twice a week (30 minutes)
- Change bedding and towels
- Dust surfaces
- Vacuum carpets and wash floor (more often if you have pets or children)
- Clean mirrors
- Clean toilets and sinks
- Put a wash on (get it on the line, into the dryer in a lunch break).
- Write a menu plan
Zone routine … each month. Once or twice a week or a little every day in each zone (10-15 minutes)
- Wipe down and dust surfaces
- Vacuum underneath furniture
- Clean skirting boards
- Dust mirrors and pictures
- Dust lampshades
- Wipe cupboard and door fronts
Monthly or quarterly routines ... any tasks that don’t need to be done every month but still need doing.
- Clear out and donate clothes as you do the spring/autumn switch over
- Clear out the kitchen cupboards
- Organise your finances ...
If it's easier and you need more of a deep, spring clean or declutter, focus on one room at a time for 10-15 minutes each day or a few times a week.
Make it fun. It’s not always the most exciting activity but put on your favourite playlist or listen to a podcast.
... At Work
What similar routines could you apply to work? Divide it into areas and create routines for each one.
- Your calendar - so you plan ahead and waste less time
- Your email - to manage and organise
- Managing projects - keeping on top of priorities
- Updating accounts - in a timely manner so they don't build up ...
Pick one thing and spend 10-15 minutes on it each day, for instance ...
- Tidy your office
- Declutter an area
- Clear your Inbox
- Exercise
- Detox your inbox and social media
I use Trello and my Scheduler to set up routines. It saves thinking time and provides automatic reminders, so I'm less likely to forget!
... In Life
Apply the same process on a personal level and apply it to your health and wellbeing.
- Start or change your exercise routine
- Simplify or improve your eating habits
- Start a healthy sleep schedule
- Write a journal ...
For more ideas and to get started on spring cleaning your habits, beliefs and behaviours, come and join me for the 7 Day Habit Challenge - starting in the Better Time Habits Facebook group on April 1st. It’s free!
Find Out More:
Read previous related blog posts on time management and productivity.
Set A Time Limit - Simple But Effective (blog post)
Create A Morning Routine (blog post)
Get more time management and productivity tips with practical solutions to your daily challenges, sign up for my Time Matters newsletter.

Book time for a quick chat (it's free!)
If you want to clear out your Inbox and get back control of your Inbox, why not book up a Laser Focus session.