Daily Picture Assignment #161 Outfit I wore on Saturday. I’m pretty pleased with it. This

Daily Picture Assignment #161

Outfit I wore on Saturday. I’m pretty pleased with it.

This week’s topic: Predicting and completing chores

Neither Reaction Junkie nor I are what you would call “neat” or “organized.” It’s an ongoing uphill battle to combat the mess in our apartment. I need to do a better job figuring out what chores need doing and when, and I need to actually execute those plans. Now, we’re both adults, so he can take care of his belongings and clean up after himself, so I’m not taking responsibility for that, but I do need to take responsibility for my stuff and my messes, and do more general cleaning. It will make me feel better about myself and make my life better, and, more importantly, please my owner and make his life easier and him happier.

One of the most important things I can do to help keep the apartment looking neat is to practice avoidance. If I don’t make a mess in the first place, I don’t have to clean it up. Instead of putting things down wherever there’s a flat surface, I should put them where they belong.

I also need to do a better job of realizing what needs doing. If I can predict that I’ll need to accomplish a task, I will be more able to make time to do it, rather than trying to fit it in around everything else. This means I’ll have to pay attention to the state of the apartment, especially the dishes and the laundry.

Obviously I won’t be able to prevent all messiness. When there is something that needs to be put away or cleaned, one way I can deal with that better is to do a little bit at a time. Rather than try to set aside a whole chunk of time, whenever I pass by whatever the thing is (laundry, dishes, litter box), I should take a minute or less and take care of a little bit of it.

I can start enlisting Reaction Junkie’s aid. When I know there’s something I need to do, I should ask him to remind me to do it. And although he is my owner, I should remind him of things he needs to do. When I want his help, I need to start asking him to do things, like putting away dishes or cleaning up his side of the bathroom.

I should also ask my owner to make me do things and hold me to what I’m writing. And, most importantly, not whine or get mad when he does so. For example, I’m saying I want to put away some clothes each time I go into the bedroom, so I’m going to ask him to ask me if I’ve done so when he sees me in the room, and remind me or order me to do it. And if I go in and don’t put any clothes away, I’ll have to tell him and accept a punishment.

By changing my attitude towards keeping the apartment neat, paying more attention to what needs to be done, cleaning and putting things away in little ongoing bursts

-do better realizing what needs doing, and getting a little help from my owner, I will start doing a better job predicting and completing chores.