Here’s something that my friend suggested, and which I’ve been finding useful:
One thing that helped me, when I was learning to keep the place clean, was the following suggestion: learn to take stuff to its place whenever you are moving around the apartment. For example, if you get off the couch to go to the toilet and kitchen is on the way, pick up a few dishes and drop then in the kitchen sink/washing machine.
Or if the bookshelf is on your path, pick up a book you are not actively reading and put it on the shelf.
It takes a few weeks to learn this, but once it starts flowing, it really reduces the amount of work you need to do to keep the place tidy.
Also, if you’re going to put something somewhere that’s not in its place, put it in a place that you’ll HAVE to clean soon. I had a lot of success putting all my school-related stuff on my bed throughout the day in high school because I was guaranteed to pack it all up into my backpack because I had to use the bed to sleep.
Similarly, to remind myself to do stuff with an object, I put that object where I will find it when I prepare to go out.
If my hamper is full, but am going to bed or leaving for work, I just put the hamper in front of my door so I will remember to do it immediately when I get home.
I also put stuff I need to take with me next time I leave the house on top of my wallet (or my shoes, or hanging from my doorknob, depending on size).
Heh. My mother was telling me this since I am lucid. Maybe this time I will listen.
This is also a good advice against not being entirely absent-minded but also being a bit conscious about the here-and-now. If Buddhists meditation teachers are to be believed, this is somehow a good thing. However, I disregarded that advice because I liked being absent-minded and oblivious of circumstances. Things going in on in my head are far more interesting than dishes or other “common everyday” things. Yet, the Zen folks are saying it is precisely being 100% aware of non-glamorous common things is what leads to a certain kind of enlightenment. Like sweeping the floor with 200% attention. Not 100% sure why...
Here’s something that my friend suggested, and which I’ve been finding useful:
Also, if you’re going to put something somewhere that’s not in its place, put it in a place that you’ll HAVE to clean soon. I had a lot of success putting all my school-related stuff on my bed throughout the day in high school because I was guaranteed to pack it all up into my backpack because I had to use the bed to sleep.
Similarly, to remind myself to do stuff with an object, I put that object where I will find it when I prepare to go out.
If my hamper is full, but am going to bed or leaving for work, I just put the hamper in front of my door so I will remember to do it immediately when I get home.
I also put stuff I need to take with me next time I leave the house on top of my wallet (or my shoes, or hanging from my doorknob, depending on size).
Heh. My mother was telling me this since I am lucid. Maybe this time I will listen.
This is also a good advice against not being entirely absent-minded but also being a bit conscious about the here-and-now. If Buddhists meditation teachers are to be believed, this is somehow a good thing. However, I disregarded that advice because I liked being absent-minded and oblivious of circumstances. Things going in on in my head are far more interesting than dishes or other “common everyday” things. Yet, the Zen folks are saying it is precisely being 100% aware of non-glamorous common things is what leads to a certain kind of enlightenment. Like sweeping the floor with 200% attention. Not 100% sure why...