I’ve always kept to a strict schedule for my writing and editing, but things have become lax with regard to the rest. Working out each morning, cleaning, dogs, etc. I do it when I can, but overall, it’s iffy if I can get everything done that I need to during the day, which results in having a bucket of laundry on my bed for days that I have to move when I go to bed. Or say the pile of dishes (our dishwasher is broken) that build if I don’t do them every. single. day. Something ends up being left behind in the mix.

I decided last week that I need to come up with a cleaning schedule so I can get more work done each day, each week, in the month. That also means scheduling the dog, cat, and bird daily care (which is pretty much how it ends up since we have so many). Surprisingly the animal care takes less than the humans in this house though.

I let the ogre under the stairs know that it also means a cleaning schedule for HIM. He’s a man. Trying to get him to maintain cleanliness is practically impossible. I can get him to take trash out. I can get him to do most things if I ask. But that’s the thing. I don’t want to waste the time in asking so I’m just done with that. Now it’s time for the Type-A personality to come out and even in his room. He watches TV all the time, doesn’t help out around the house, and his room remains a mess. A room that I have to enter on a daily basis. A room that I sometimes get to work out in (that’s where the big treadmill is) when he’s not around.

I told him I plan to schedule my vacuuming for when he’s watching Football. You know. Because I can. And because I’m the most awesome little sister.

I’m a caregiver to my mom and she is a FT job on top of trying to build a writing career. Damned if I’m not going to act as a caregiver to an older brother too. He needs a drill sergeant and he’s going to get one. I don’t mind him getting mad. He’s always fussing about something. Easy to command when he’s not the one doing it. It’s a wonder he doesn’t notice how similar he and the mother are.

Now to figure out the cleaning schedule. I think my best plan is to make a note of everything that needs to be done, and then go from there. Then I can decide the daily chores, weekly, etc. Going to have to work social media into that mix. Otherwise I am not online and that doesn’t help with marketing.