24 Tiny Habits for Tidying Up As You Go
if you struggle to keep tidy, try some of these daily tidying habits to keep your house clean as you go
Do you feel like Tidying is always on your list? Does it all pile up to the point that it feels way too overwhelming? Do you wonder about the habits of people who always have a clean home? If so, you're not alone. It’s easy for our homes to fall into disorder when we are too busy or tired to do a bunch of cleaning in our spare time. (and who among us really has “spare time” anyway??) And it’s easy to compare ourselves to others and fall into a shame spiral. First of all: don’t compare yourself to others — you are doing the best you can, and if you really want to have more tidy spaces, the best way to start is to start SMALL. This is where tiny habits come in. Dr. BJ Fogg, from Stanford University, has developed a system for creating tiny habits that make big changes. In his book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything, he discusses how to create small changes you can stick to.. In this blog post, we will go over 24 tiny habits for tidying up every day!
First, here's the recipe we use to create a Tiny Cleaning Habit:
After I __{anchor/existing habit}__, I will ___{do my new tiny habit}__.
We take an existing behavior, then attach a new cleaning habit to it. For example if you wanted to start making your bed, you could try this habit recipe: "After I get out of bed, I will pull the covers onto the bed behind me"
We make the tidying habits SUPER small to lower the bar for success. If it's small, your brain can make it automatic. And if the bar for success is low, you can FEEL GOOD about even the smallest of wins. By design, we are not shooting for perfect, but just tidying as you go will make a big difference.
Think about this. You already have cleanliness habits that you have formed without really thinking of them. Most people likely already do this habit: "After I brush my teeth, I will put away my toothbrush," or "After I get something out of the fridge, I will shut the fridge." We want to create more tidying habits that are as automatic as that.
Here are 24 tiny habits for tidying every day:
These may inspire some ideas of your own — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. These habits have to fit YOUR life. So you likely can’t copy and paste these and make them happen. You need to play with them and make them your own.
After I dry my hands, I will wipe down the sink.
After I put my coffee mug in the sink, I will pick up the sponge.
After I get dressed, I will put one item in the hamper.
After I put my keys down, I will put away my purse.
After I sit down at my desk, I will clear off the top of it.
After I check my email, I will file one thing.
After I finish dinner, I will put my dish into the dishwasher
After my daughter goes to bed, I will walk to X room to pick up one item
After I come downstairs at night, I will set a timer for 5 minutes (keep a timer by the stairs).
After I turn on the TV, I will put away one thing.
After I stand up from the couch, I will fold the blanket.
After I turn off the car, I will put away my sunglasses.
After I get home from work, I will put my work bag in its spot.
After I close my makeup bag, I will set a timer for 30 seconds (and tidy the counter).
After I do the dishes, I will pick up one item in the living room.
After I turn on the shower, I'll tidy one thing in the bathroom (while I wait for the water to heat up).
After I put the kids to bed, I will tidy one thing in their room.
After I put my keys in the bowl, I will set a timer for 30 seconds and tidy the counter.
After I shut the dishwasher, I will wipe the counter.
After I finish my coffee, I will put the mug in the sink.
After I turn on the tea kettle, I'll tidy one thing near me.
After I put on my shoes, I will tidy one thing near me.
After I check my email, I will delete any junk mail.
After I get home from work, I will put my shoes in the shoe-spot.
AND to LOCK the Habit in, You Should Celebrate it!
You can do a little jig, brag to your family members OR your A.I. Task Manager from Shelpful …. (free trial here)
Where to Start?
These are just some examples -- you can tailor the habits to fit your needs! Just remember to keep them small and realistic. We always say that the actual habit (the tiny version) should be HILARIOUSLY SMALL. Like so small that you are almost embarrassed to tell someone that it's your habit.
Choose a few to start with and add more as you go along. Remember, we make these tidying habits SMALL so they can become automatic and easy to do.
And if you're ready to get started with a bit of extra support, why not try Shelpful for a spin? We're offering a 1-week free trial to new users. You can book a free coaching call if you want to talk through things more, or you can ask your AI Task Manager for tips. Head over to shelpful.com to start your trial today and take the first step towards a more organized, productive, and happy life. Let's do this together!
Thousands of people have found long term success with this method, because it's hijacking how your brain already makes habits. When you make it small, when you tie it to an existing anchor habit, and when you feel GOOD about doing it, you can form new neural pathways in your brain. This is like muscle memory -- it's what makes your new habit as automatic as shutting the front door after you walk through it…or grabbing the hand rail when you go down the stairs.
Take out a post-it, write the habit recipe for your new habit (After I __{anchor/existing habit}__, I will ___{do my new tiny habit}__), and set an intention to start it today! Better yet: rehearse the habit a few times!
What tiny tidying habits will you try? Share in the comments below!
