Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling with motivation, and I haven’t reallly been on top of things. The house is not a pit but it’s not as tidy as it normally is. Other people probably wouldn’t have noticed it because it was subtle, but I’ve been wondering around in a state of discombobulation. I’ve had the aim of making it out of the house for work by 7.30am and I’ve actually managed to do that twice this month and today was not one of those days!

So I’ve decided to learn from my friends and introduce the golden hour. My friend has sworn that this is the only way she keeps on top of her life generally and the house in particular (mind you she also says that she keeps her house clean with bleach, vinegar and the sweat of small children – their teenagers so it’s not quite child labour!) but the idea is that the last hour of the day is the time to sort out things that haven’t been done so that you can then go to bed with a clear head, knowing that you’ll be able to hit the ground running in the morning. 

The other advantage is that you switch off the screens for an hour before bed as recommended by sleep doctors everywhere. I was doing this at the beginning of the year but as the days got lighter, my focus slipped a little and it’s time to re-start the habit.

So at 9pm each evening, I will do the following:

• switch off the screens
• make sure that the kitchen is tidy (washing up done, dishes away, surfaces clear)
• pack my breakfast and lunch for the next day
• know what I am wearing for work tomorrow
• any laundry that needs putting away is put away
• wash my face and brush my teeth
• shower
• tidy bathroom
• set alarms