Fresh Start Habits

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A few days ago while I was at my desk, my five-year old was nearby at the kitchen sink. She asked if she could do the dishes. While I was writing, she put away all the dirty dishes back into drawers and cabinets … still dirty. Luckily there were not that many dishes to unload! After we caught and fixed that mistake, she asked if she could load the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher. She had better luck with that.

After she loaded the dishwasher, she washed out the kitchen sink. She told me “I’m making the sink look like new!”

Maybe it was because I was simultaneously writing about New Year’s resolutions while this was happening, but her exclamation made me think about the exhilarating feeling of re-setting things to a “like new” status. New starts make possibilities feel so endless, like a blank canvas that could become anything.

Imagine the feeling of a fresh start every morning. Do you think it could make your day more pleasant and maybe even more productive? There are a few ways to give yourself that feeling every morning. Instead of leaving the sink of dishes for the morning, clean it “like new” before you go to bed.

If you already do that, then make your goal to have the living room tidy each night before you go to bed. Every time you keep a Fresh Start Habit for 3 weeks, add a new one. Don’t overwhelm yourself with making these changes at once, give yourself a chance to build some momentum.

Start off with a small goal: Clean your sink every night. Build from there.

Ideas for Fresh Start Habits to make each day start better:

•  Have the sink clean.
•  Have the kitchen and table clean and clear, including the floor swept.
•  Have the living room/ family room tidy.
•  Put away all the laundry from the day.
•  Plan tomorrow. (Click here to see my How To)
•  Clear your desk surface.
•  The possibilities are endless!

I remember when my twins had just turned two and I also had a newborn. Those days were demanding in every way. That is also the time I committed to giving myself a Fresh Start every morning and it made such a difference to me. Since then, these habits have become easier to keep up and have made many of my other household goals possible. Lately my husband has helped me with these things while I’ve been pregnant and sick with our fourth baby. I’m excited to feel good enough to take back my household responsibilities! (You know you’ve felt sick too long when you’re excited to do the dishes. Right now I still literally cannot bend down to reach the bottom of the dishwasher!)

Do you already have some of these Fresh Start Habits? What other kinds of things do you do to give yourself a fresh start each day?

Happy morning, every day!

From my home to yours,
Mary