Ever since I was a small child, I have loved tidying, cleaning and organising.
Once when I was a teenager, I even tidied my messy bedroom in my sleep and my friends have joked for years about my poly pocket collection.
Then life got a bit more complicated and keeping up with the cleaning and tidying got a bit overwhelming.
A husband, two teenagers and two dogs create a never end pile of clothes to wash and a general grubbiness that I just couldn’t keep up with. That was making me a little bit embarrassed and quite frankly a bit stressed. It was time to get my cleaning mojo back.
There is something very calming (to me) about having my home clean and tidy with everything (well most things) in their place.
One of the tools we have in our toolbox for changing our behaviour is to harness the power of a role model (a credible source of information and skills).
A role model can help us to get us on track, increase our motivation, reinforce our existing goals and help us to adopt new goals.
What is a role model?
Psychologists Paice et al [1] describe how excellent role models will always inspire, teach by example, excite admiration and emulation.
Role models have 3 key features, they:
Act as behavioural role models. They show us how to perform a skill or achieve a goal.
Represent the possible. They show us that a goal is attainable “I can do this, so you can do this too”.
Inspiration. They make a goal desirable and motivate us to strive toward something new or something better than before.
When you are trying to change something about your life, whether its to change your health, finances, relationships, career or cleaning behaviours, finding a role model is a powerful tool in your toolbox.
Who could inspire and teach you?
My cleaning and tidying role models
As I said above, I have always loved cleaning and tidying – both doing it and devouring information about it.
My top 3 role models are:
Marie Kondo: Like me she has loved organising since she was young and has turned her passion into a tidying consultant business. The KonMari method is a system of simplifying and organising your home by removing items that do not bring joy into your life. There are many things I love about the system she but I really love how she teaches you how to fold things (my sock drawer has never looked good).
Gretchin Rubin: She is a writer who explores human nature to understand how we can make our lives better and in her latest book she explores how for many people, outer order contributes to inner calm. Her approach and ethos resonates with that of Behaviour Works in that there is no magic, one-size-fits-all solution for cleaning or tidying or generally changing our behaviour.
Sophie Hinchliffe: aka Mrs Hinch has become an Instagram sensation with her honest and witty cleaning, tidying and organising stories. Like me she is a list maker – there is nothing better than ticking something off a Hinch list. When I’m feeling overwhelmed by cleaning or tidying, I use one of her techniques such as Hinch Half Hour, FreshnupFriday, TADAA list (you do your list backwards by writing down everything you’ve done and then ticking it off) and the Before Bed Blast.
What my role models all have in common is that they have a process for cleaning, organising and tidying. Changing your behaviour is much easier when you have a process to follow and at Behaviour Works we use a process called the Whale approach. Find out how you can learn our process for change with our Making Change Happen programme by clicking the button below.
Who inspires you?
There are many, many more cleaning, organising and tidying role models out there and as always whatever type of role model you are seeking, they need to inspire you.
Your life is unique and so who inspires you will be unique to you too.
Best wishes
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Behaviour Works aim is simple. To help make change happen in your personal, family or working life. Every week we help people across the world with their own change journey with our ‘Making Change Happen’ online training. Check us out at Behaviour Works.
[1] Paice, E., Heard, S. and Moss, F. (2002). How important are role models in making good doctors? BMJ: British Medical Journal, 325, 707-710.
Toolbox photo by Susan Holt Simpson on Unsplash
Spray bottle photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Noticeboard photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash
