There is a way you can stay organised. At A Hand to Help, we call it finishing the loop.
Finishing the loop is about maintaining your organising and your home. Finishing the loop helps us stay on track.
There are 3 things we need to share about finishing the loop. What is a loop, why is it important and how do we finish it?
What is a loop?
An organising loop is an organising / household task that has several steps with a starting point and a desired ending point. Some loops will be small with few steps and don’t require much time. Others will be larger with many steps and are completed over a period of days.
Examples of general household loops are:
Clothing, washing and putting away
Cooking a meal, cleaning up and putting dishes away
Emptying rubbish in the bin and putting household bins out for collection
Mowing the lawn or gardening
A craft project
Feeding and exercising a pet
Paying household bills
Getting ready for work in the morning and heading out the door
Organising loops require time and energy. They require time to do them and physical energy to complete them. When we don’t finish a loop it’s because we don’t have the time or we are tired and don’t have the energy. And yes, it can also be because we are time and energy depleted.
Why is finishing the loop important?
Finishing the loop is extremely important because we feel good about what we have done!
It also allows us to stay organised and stay on top of home tasks. It breaks the cycle of disorganisation. Finishing the loop stops clutter accumulating in piles in our homes. You can read about Danny’s success story of finishing the loop here.
How do we finish the loop and stay organised?
Loops allow us to break down tasks into small steps. Small steps are important because it shows us where we are having trouble to finish the loop.
Some loop steps you may be able to do. For example, put dirty clothes in the washing machine. Feed your pet. Cook a meal.
Some steps you may struggle with. For example, drying clothes and putting them away. Walking your pet or washing up and putting the dishes away after a meal.
Not finishing a loop is ok and is normal. What is important is you have help with the steps to finish your loops. This help might be from family, friends, a cleaner, support person, support worker or Professional Organiser.
Finishing the loop is a powerful organising tool. It will help you to stay organised. Staying on top of your organising will be easier if you have help to finish your loops.
