Super Intense Chore Chart

by cecimadden

If you don’t put some kind of pressure on me to complete a task, I probably won’t do it.  But under pressure, I seem to thrive…which is why I rely on this Super Intense Chore Chart to get me through my housekeeping duties.  (Click this link so you can have This month’s chore chart too.)

Here’s how it works:  I hate chores.  They are not a priority for me.  If I set up a chore schedule (which works for so many people – kudos and a tinge of envy to you), I will always find more important things to do and in the name of priority management neglect the chores.  “Priority management” is a very close cousin of procrastination, it seems.  Also, when faced with a chore I almost always feel that I just did that.  This is insane thinking, I acknowledge, and another reason I need the Super Intense Chore Chart to keep me accountable.

This chart simply has a (long) list of chores and a grid of dates that covers a four week period and all I do is fill in the square when I’ve completed a task on a given date.  This way I can look at the chart and see that it’s been too long since I last scrubbed the tub, hopefully before I look at a disgusting tub and make the same realization.  I can see that I didn’t just dust the furniture and it’s probably about time that I dust it again.  No guilt, no shame, just a little objective pressure to help me get off my hump and do a little cleaning.

If you want to download a chart, you can (see above).  I print mine and put it in a small binder of household reference materials.  My advice: don’t hang it on the refrigerator – the refrigerator is a place to hang accomplishments and things that make you smile.  Plus, it might scare people, including your husband.

How often do I look at it?  At least once a week, or right before my mother-in-law comes to visit.  Which is tomorrow.  Did I mention that?

Happy cleaning and happy weekend to you!