Sometimes we look around our home and think "I'm never going to find the time to do all the cleaning that needs to be done." And you might be right.

That is not the problem.

The problem is that when people come to this realization, there is a sense of despair and hopelessness that comes with it. Sometimes it's so strong that they feel there's no point in doing ANY of the cleaning. In serious cases, this can cause a downward spiral in the maintenance of their home as they neglect cleaning and clutter and dirt continue to grow.

Let's talk about the mindsets we get into when we think about cleaning; and let's talk about changing our mindsets so that we are able to focus on reality and manage to get things done.

First, what is "all the cleaning"? When you really think about it, "all" of the cleaning IS an enormous task. Most of the time, you don't need to do that kind of cleaning: you need to straighten up. We're not talking about scrubbing the floors or laundering the curtains. We're talking about clearing the counters and scrubbing the toilet. Maybe a few loads of laundry. Focus on what cleaning is NOT and it will put your remaining "must dos" into better perspective.

Second, prioritize what's left. Perhaps your floors DO need to be scrubbed and your curtains DO need to be laundered. But do they need to happen TODAY? Probably not. Figure out what truly cannot wait and tackle those things. How do you figure it out? It's something that economists call "opportunity cost": what am I giving up to do this cleaning task? And what am I giving up by not doing it? To perform the task, you give up time and effort. But what would you be doing with that time and effort if you weren't cleaning? And when you figure that out, decide which is more important to you. When you give the situation those 2 minutes of thought and decision, you will look at your mess (or cleaning) in a completely different light. If you decide not to clean, the next time you look at your mess you will remember that it is messy because you gained something else--time with your family, a balanced checkbook, or a healthy meal that you cooked instead of eating out. Suddenly, you will have given purpose to your mess. There will be a reason for it. And you will feel better about the fact that it didn't get tended to. Or you will clean it and know that you managed your time consciously to get it done instead of possibly waffling from task to task--not really accomplishing anything... and definitely not feeling good about it.

Third, don't associate cleaning with time. You have it backwards. Cleaning doesn't take time. You take time to clean. What's the difference? The difference is that instead of looking at your bedroom or kitchen and saying "It's going to take me forever to clean this", you look at it and say "Okay, I'm setting my alarm clock/timer for 30 minutes and when those 30 minutes are up, it will be better." It's not about how long it will take to finish the job, it's about using the time you have to make progress. Most people miscalculate the time required to complete cleaning tasks. Even if you only have FIVE minutes--do something. You will be surprised at how much more you are able to complete than you thought was possible. After you experience this a few times, you will come to feel more hopeful about cleaning.

On that note, the last thing you need to do is to remove the expectation that cleaning is a meal to be completed in one sitting. I don't know where our culture got this mentality, but it's simply not reality. Cleaning has become a chore instead of a way of life. It is a task with it's own separate, dedicated time and effort... much like a job or a volunteer activity. But reality is that cleaning is a lifestyle. It is something you do in bits and pieces throughout your day. It's not something you gear up for and tackle. It is something you incorporate into everything else you do. If you're waiting for your meal to cook and talking to someone (on the phone or in person), you could also be wiping down your counters and sweeping the floor. When you start to see cleaning as a series of countless, small tasks instead of a single major chore--you will find opportunities to complete these little tasks. Suddenly, cleaning is no longer a burden, it's just the way you live.

Anyone can look at a pile of bricks and think "That's going to be impossible to move". But fortunate and happy are the people who move that pile one brick at a time as they go about their lives. It won't all be done in a day, but it will get done. As long as there was no reason it needed to be done in a day, what's the difference?