There’s nothing quite like entering the kitchen in the morning and seeing a clean & clear counter. No dirty dishes, no half empty cups – just a clean, fresh start to the day. It’s a small thing that makes a huge difference, and can be accomplished by one simple nightly habit.
I’ve come to realize that small wins are what sustain us. They are motivational and help us to keep doing certain actions or habits. Taking care of the dishes before going to bed is a small habit I’m trying really hard to form, because I know how nice it will be to have a clear counter in the morning. Because this is a small win that I know helps clear my mind, I try to do it regularly – creating a small habit that’s a tiny win each time.
I also realized that it’s a lot easier to keep up the habit if you have less dishes to take care of. This is a very difficult concept for my husband, who seems to use a different travel mug or tumbler each day. On any given day, there are at least two sitting next to the sink (with or without old coffee sludge in them)… A couple of years ago, I would not, I repeat, WOULD NOT be able to deal with this. With some time, it has turned into a habit that he tries to at least rinse them when leaving them next to the sink and I always remmeber to mention when he forgets, but still just rinse them out myself and put them on the drying rack.