• ‘We Keep Our Homes Clean Despite the Neighborhood!’
    Awake!—1981 | July 8

    • “Without a Schedule My Whole Day Is Backward”

      “I find that working without a schedule, I don’t get a thing done. Without a schedule my whole day is backward,” confessed a housewife whose home, despite the neighborhood, sparkles. Some women dislike the thought of a schedule, for it involves self-discipline. Regardless of what you call it​—a routine, schedule, plan or guide, its purpose is to give you an idea of what to do and when. You may not accomplish everything on the schedule, but it will help.

      “I know of no job, whether it’s running a factory or bathing a baby,” reports the British journalist Shirley Conran, “that isn’t easier, quicker, and more enjoyable if you think about it logically in advance​—and that’s all that efficient organization is.” Other experts and housewives with much experience heartily agree.

      Some women write the schedule down and others keep it in their head. They list the tasks to be done daily, weekly, monthly or seasonally. They may determine how much time they have (or want to spend) for cleaning and then organize a routine. Interruptions are bound to occur, but at least they have a general “battle plan,” and once a reasonable routine is established the results are amazing.