Have you ever wondered what makes some homes (and homemakers) stand apart from the rest? So did I. After careful consideration and study, I realized that highly effective homemakers generally practice these seven essential homemaking habits every day.
But first, before we talk about the habits, I want to share a quick story with you. It’s a story about my real-life homemaking mentor, and how a visit to her house inspired me.
My Homemaking Mentor
The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was the delicious aroma of cinnamon and apples. A vanilla candle flickered cheerily on the entryway table, and the scene before me was one of warmth and welcome.
She ushered me into the kitchen and offered me a drink. After pouring a cup of tea for both of us, we sank into her cozy living room sofa to enjoy an afternoon chat.
Her children are grown now, but their ties to family are strong. Many are their memories of meals eaten around the table together, holidays and special occasions celebrated, parties hosted, and friends welcomed into their home.
What is it, I wondered, that makes some homes stand out from the rest? What is it that makes some homemakers highly effective at creating a home atmosphere that draws their family and friends to them like a bee is drawn to honey?
It isn’t money. It isn’t the size or appearance of the house itself.
As I thought back over the homemakers who have had a profound influence on me personally, I realized that these attributes of successful and effective homemakers could be distilled down to seven main things that they all have in common.
Seven essential homemaking habits that great homemakers regularly practice.
Here are the habits and skills that will help you flourish at home.
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Essential Homemaking Habits
Habit #1: Live with Vision
A beautiful, vibrant home doesn’t just happen. It must be visualized first. If you haven’t envisioned where you’re going, how will you ever get there?
Effective homemakers have a vision.
It takes a lot of thought and prayer and planning to make a beautiful home a reality. Yes, it’s also going to take work!
But it all starts with the vision.
I think it helps here to do some backward planning. Imagine how you want your home and family to look twenty years from now. Then work back to the present and write down everything you need to do now to make those future dreams a reality.
Habit #2: Follow a Daily Schedule or Routine
Effective homemakers don’t just let life happen to them. They have a plan.
Of course, sometimes your plan won’t work out. It will be interrupted by sickness, or a broken toilet, or some other circumstance outside of your control.
Sometimes the plan will be interrupted long-term, like what happened to me during each of my five pregnancies, where I was stuck in bed for five months!
But still, you need a plan. Even if you have to revert to an “emergency plan,” it’s still better than nothing.
This schedule is going to be the tool that helps you make your dreams a reality.
Here’s what my schedule currently looks like, with some helpful ideas for creating your own schedule.
As you do the next thing on your schedule, you’ll be checking off your priorities and accomplishing your most important goals, little by little. It’s the key to making it happen!
Habit #3: Get Up Early
I know this one is hard for some of us. If you have babies or little ones, I know sometimes this isn’t even possible.
But as much as you can, as soon as you can, try to get up before your children. And if you don’t have children (or another circumstance preventing you from it), do whatever it takes to get up early.
I read an article recently that said the most successful people get up early. When you’re up before the sun (or at least before your children!) you’ll have the advantage of some quiet time to yourself to read, pray, exercise, or just get a head start on your day.
This is a hard one. But it’s an important key to effectiveness. If you need help in this area, try the Make Over Your Mornings Course.
Habit #4: Plan Meals
I’ll be honest, this is a weakness of mine. It’s not something I enjoy doing. But it’s another important key to running a successful home.
It just makes everything better when you’ve got all the meals planned ahead of time. Having a plan eliminates that decision anxiety when 5:00 rolls around (as it always does!).
If meal planning is a chore you’d rather delegate, you might try a meal planning service like $5 Meal Plan. They make meal planning a cinch—then you just have to do the cooking! 🙂
Habit #5: Use a Cleaning Schedule
Come up with a cleaning plan that will work for you and your home.
We’ve used different methods through the years, but it always works best and our house stays cleaner when I have some kind of plan in place. What matters is that it works for you.
Here’s my cleaning and home management schedule as an example.
And make sure to get the kids to help. My children have always helped around the house. This is the chore system we currently use. If everyone in the family does their share, one person never ends up feeling overwhelmed.
With children at home, it’s not ever going to be spotless. But we do aim for a neat and orderly atmosphere as much as possible.
I try to at least keep the living room and front entryway clean. If we’ve been out of town or it’s been a rough week because of busyness or illness, I feel better if at least the view from the front door looks nice! During those “crisis moments,” if I have time, I’ll also focus on the essentials like dishes, laundry, and bathrooms. Then when things get back to normal I go back to focusing on deep cleaning and organizing.
If you need help in this area, I highly recommend looking into FlyLady’s book. She’s so inspiring!
Habit #6: Declutter and Organize
The atmosphere of your home will be so much more pleasant when it’s not overtaken by stuff.
It’s really true that you can’t organize clutter. So, getting rid of the clutter comes before organizing things.
I know, this is another challenging one, especially if you have a small house.
We have a relatively small house for our family of seven, and even though I have dreams of someday having lots of space and storage, for now I must actively work to keep clutter away and find a home for everything within the limits of our small space.
I’ve always used the method of having three boxes or bags labeled “put away,” “give away,” and “throw away.” It’s simple, but it works. And if you want to get really serious about decluttering, try this Decluttering Challenge.
Once you’ve decluttered everything, make sure each item has a place, and your home will be so much easier to keep clean!
Habit #7: Cultivate a Cheerful, Thankful Spirit
I’ve saved the most important habit for last.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the old adage “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” And how true it is! If we’re constantly grumbling and complaining, it’s going to affect the whole household.
Please don’t think I’m saying that you can’t be a good homemaker if you struggle with depression or discouragement at times. We all go through periods of discouragement. (And if your struggle is deeper, it’s okay and even needful to ask for help.)
What I’m talking about is shaking off the everyday temptation (common to all of us) to have a complaining spirit. In the midst of mundane, dreary, or discouraging days, this habit is most important—and yet it’s possibly the most difficult.
The homemaker who exudes love, warmth, and gratitude will be the most effective of all.
It doesn’t matter how big, how fancy, or how organized the house. What matters most is that the people who live there and those who come through the doors feel loved.
When that difficult situation arises (as it always will), try to focus on the things that will build up your family. As Philippians 4:8 says:
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
My gratitude journal is a great help to me in remembering to be thankful. If you need a gratitude journal, you can find one here.
A Great Starting Place
These 7 essential homemaking habits are a great place to start if you’re new to homemaking or you’re hoping to grow as a homemaker.
I’ve been a full-time homemaker for 18 years, and I’m still learning new things and growing. We never fully “arrive.” As our life circumstances change, we find that methods and systems need to be revamped from time to time.
I’m in a state of restructuring and reorganizing some things in our home this year, trying to cultivate greater faithfulness and streamlining all of our systems. I’m definitely focusing on these 7 habits as I work toward greater effectiveness as a homemaker.
What about you? What essential homemaking habits are you hoping to cultivate and grow this year?
Related Posts:
- Why Homemaking Matters
- My Daily Schedule and Routines
- A Homemaker’s Daily Schedule
- My Cleaning and Home Management Schedule
- The Secret to Successful Mornings
- How to Pick Your Perfect Planner
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Joy Kincaid, What a beautiful name! I’m really inspired by the brightness of your genius thought. Thanks for this great post & brilliant ideas…
That’s very kind of you, thank you!
My goal is to try to get some sort of a system going with an ever-growing list of chronic illnesses.
I know it’s so hard when you’re dealing with chronic illness.
I’m to the point where I figure if I can do a little every day, at least it won’t be any worse!
Great post and great ideas! I pinned it so that I could read it again later.
Thank you, Angela! So glad it was helpful.
Are these habits for homemaking based on Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?
No, they’re not based on that book. This is just a list of homemaking habits that I’ve found to be helpful. 🙂
This is such a wonderful post! Can’t wait to get some of these in action! Thank you!
Thank you, Ali! So glad it was helpful!
Great tips! I love meal planning but struggle to actually do it. I definitely agree with having a daily routine. I’m pretty obsessed with my daily routine, if things don’t go according to my routine it throws my whole day off. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Devon! I’m the same with meal planning—It’s one of my greatest struggles. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Thank you so much for sharing this! Excellent read!
Thank you for stopping by, Amy!
This was a good read. It can be challenging to stick to the cleaning schedule, but everyone functions better when the house is clean!
Yes, I agree about the cleaning schedule! I try to keep it simple by focusing on these 7 everyday cleaning tasks, and that makes it a bit more manageable.
Flylady is the best
I agree!
Love how you’ve broken these down into habits. Homemaking involves many habits that need to be practiced. Congrats, you’re featured this week at the This Is How We Roll Link Party.
Thanks so much for the feature, Susan!
Excellent goals to strive for (I know I struggle with the getting up early one lol!) Thanks for sharing on Homestead Blog Hop!
Yes, getting up early is the one I struggle with the most! 🙂
This was a very helpful list. Thank you for sharing!
So glad it was helpful, Cathy!
Love this! Thanks for sharing at #BestoftheWeekend
Thank you, Katherine!
I love this! I do all of these things, I just haven’t mastered them as “habits” yet. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to be consistent so things don’t pile up or get behind. Thank you for the inspiration to keep going!
It really does take a tremendous amount of effort to be consistent. It’s still a work-in-progress here also. 🙂 Thanks for visiting today!
Thanks for sharing some great tips. I need to work on getting a cleaning schedule in place. These are all great tips. #HomeMattersParty
Thanks for stopping by, Donna!
I agree these are all good tips. I especially love the first one. There’s nothing like all the little special touches that make a house a home, like the candles and flowers sitting out. How refreshing when a house is clean too. Wish it stayed that way a little longer!
Florence, I agree! It would be so nice if it would stay clean longer! 🙂
I am definitely not highly effective – but I do meal plan! 😀 Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
Haha, Lynda, I totally understand! I’m a work in progress too! 🙂
According to this, I’m nearly highly effective! 🙂 which I would probably agree with. There’s always room for improvement! The only point on your list that I don’t practice (like, at all), is getting up early. The baby wakes up around 7am. That’s when I get up. I do take the time after his feed and before his sister gets up to do a few things. One of my goals is to start getting up at 6 to stretch + strengthen. I’ve been threatening to start ever day this year – haha.
Thanks for sharing
#sweetinspiration
Katelynn, hampersandhiccups.com
Oh, I know it’s so hard when you have little ones! My youngest is 8, and I still have difficulty getting up early. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by, Katelynn!
These are great. I think I have some! Not the org/decluttering part but I started on the garage yesterday. I will be there til Easter at least! Great post! will share.
Oh, the garage…that’s always a huge job. Easter sounds about right! I’m currently going through our whole house, and I’m saving the garage for last! 🙂
I love this! Perfect tips!! We just started the Whisk It Wednesday link party and I thought you might be interested in sharing there too! Thanks, Carrie
Thank you, Carrie!
These are great! Homemaking can be so challenging, yet it’s so very rewarding. Thank you especially for encouraging young moms! What a blessing.
Thanks for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
Thank you, Richella! And thank you for the feature!
I love this post!
If I didn’t get up early, plan our meals and stick to a schedule, I’d be lost! I have to keep a schedule and plan ahead or everything gets thrown out of whack! I am one of your neighbors today at A Wise Woman link up! God bless you!
So glad you stopped by today Jennifer! Blessings to you!
Great tips! I hate the planning part of homemaking (for chores or meals) but that is always what makes things run smoothly. Thanks for sharing on Homestead Blog Hop!
I agree with you, I find the planning part to be a chore. Thanks so much for hosting!
I really needed this this morning! I have a few of those habits, like waking up early and meal planning. Most of the other things I try to do, like having a cleaning schedule; but I get so overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done that I just don’t make a list! Or stick to it. Thankfully we all have grace and know that tomorrow is always a new day!
I agree, so thankful for grace and each new day! It’s so encouraging to know we can keep learning and improving.
Pinning this! Thank you for these great tips to have an effective home. I pray I can cultivate a cheerful and thankful spirit in my household.
So glad it was helpful! Thanks for sharing, Valerie!
All great. I start well, rarely finish well. My morning begins w/ coffee, God and then whatever comes next. Today I plan to declutter our bedroom, make calzones, and write on hiding in Christ. A good day all around! Thank you for your inspiration.
I can relate to having difficulty with the finishing well part. That’s the hardest part! Your plan for the day sounds very fulfilling—thanks so much for sharing!
Great list! I struggle so much with number 6. We’re also fa family of 7…living in a 1000 sq ft house. I feel like it just isn’t possible to declutter enough. There just isn’t enough room for even the essentials! Of course, I must also admit to a small homeschool curriculum hoarding problem. I guess there’s always room for improvement!
Thanks, Elizabeth! Oh, I know, I struggle with number 6 also. It’s hard when you have lots of people in a smaller house. There just isn’t room for everything! I’m constantly rearranging things and hoping for greater organization, but it’s hard. And, yes, I can relate to the homeschool curriculum hoarding! 🙂 Totally guilty!
This post was helpful! I enjoyed it and your list will be helpful in my household!
Visiting from #SittingAmongFriends
Thank you, Julie! So glad it was helpful!
Number 1 and 7 are my favorites. It’s so true- good homemakers make it look effortless but a whole lot of planning sure goes in to a happy, comfortable home!
I’m continually amazed by how much planning goes into it!
I love this post! The verse from Philippians is the theme for my blog lovelylittlelives.com. I’m scheduling this post to share on my blog page 🙂
Thank you, Hannah! That’s such a great theme for your blog. And thank you for sharing! 🙂
This is a smart list! I’m in the process of going from working mom to stay at home mom. This list helps me visualize the kind of SAM I want to be. Thank you
Thank you, Megan! I’m glad it was helpful. Best wishes as you make the transition to stay-at-home mom!
This is a great list! I wrote down your tips too!
#FMF
Thank you, Julie!
Love Love Love this! Getting up early has always been an important part of the equation for me to not only stay ahead of everything but also to feel confident and in control fo the day.
Thank you, Crystal! Yes, getting up early (or at least earlier than other family members) is a great help!
You are a beautiful writer and your blog is beautiful! So glad I found you on a link up party. Definitely now a follower of yours!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Carmen! So glad to meet you!
These are great tips. Thanks for sharing. My mother was a professional homemaker! And I think the reason that we loved being home (and others loved coming over) was mostly due to the fact that she cared about people and made them the most important focus. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing about your mother, Brooke! She sounds like a very special lady!
We have a rule here, if something new comes into the house, then something old must go. It helps with the clutter.
That’s an excellent rule, Sue! Thanks so much for sharing!
As a homemaker, I can definitely appreciate everything you listed! I belive we have the same outline of homemaking habits! Meal plans definitely help with our family of 5, we love to declutter, and though I do not like getting up early (who does?!) … it definitely makes a difference in your day!
I laughed when you quoted the saying “if mama ain’t happy…”, soooo true! And you can definitely tell by the atmosphere if I am upset, the family seems off balanced too. I have to remember to just smile and give hugs, definitely if one has “grumpy pants.” We like to tell our children “smile often and hug more…the world could use more hugs.” And that we stand by.
Lastly, I want to point out the bible verse you wrote. Loved it! I know everyone has their own beliefs that work for them and that’s fantastic…just as we, my family hold strong Christian values. For us, I strongly feel that our Christian values is what guides us in being a close family, guides us to understand the ups and downs and in guiding us to improve.
Thank you so much for this post. I really enjoyed reading it!
God bless.
Thank you so much for sharing, and for the encouragement! 🙂
The getting up early, even if 15 minutes before everyone else, so I can read my devotion and pray is a must!! Otherwise I don’t put my faith on for the day! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Oh, yes, I know what you mean Sherry! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I’ve been a homemade for 28 years now and you’ve really shared some great tips here. I do find getting up early makes a huge difference (even though I’m not a morning person)! Meal planning is very important too – and I totally agree with number 7! Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul.
Thank you so much for stopping by today, April! And thanks for hosting!
Joy, I read this and felt inspired to be my best at homemaking. Sure, there are areas that I don’t keep up with very well but you make it sound ‘do-able’. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
Blessings to you!
Visiting today from #MommyMoments Linkup.
Marva, I’m so glad it was encouraging! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Blessings!
What a lovely post, full of love for home and the people who live there. I deeply value and cherish my role as homemaker, because I believe, in the words of the TV Laura Ingalls, “Home is one of the nicest words there is”! Thanks for sharing…stopping by from Mommy Moments!
Love that Laura Ingalls quote, Elizabeth! So glad you stopped by!
I saw a link to your blog on Pinterest. Thanks so much for writing this! I know it sounds like a no-brainer to some (and I envy them!), but it has all really opened my eyes. It is so easy to slip into routines that are not effective when you get too busy with school, work, sports, etc. schedules. I have even half convinced myself that flying by the seat of my pants is a coping talent. It really only drains the joy out of life to be in survival/crisis mode all the time and it doesn’t teach my kids good habits either. I want them to learn good habits and skills now. What you wrote under habit #7 really struck a chord: “What matters most is that the people who live there and those who come through the doors feel loved.” When mama is stressed and in chaos, the whole family is too. We really do set the tone for the home. Thanks so much for sharing your insight and experience. I really appreciate it.
I’m so glad you stopped by, Gabi! We’ve got lots of experience with being in survival/crisis mode, too, and you’re so right about it draining the joy out of life. I’m working on being faithful with these 7 habits too! 🙂
I discovered you in the Women with Intention linkup and the title of your blog post attracted my attention! I no longer have little ones at home (I have 4 grown kids, and now 3 granddaughters), but I still definitely need to work on #5 and #6! Clutter is certainly the bane of my existence, as the saying goes, and I’m determined that this will be the year of breakthroughs – one of them being to finally conquer clutter! Thank you for this great post.
So glad you came by! I’m journeying right alongside you as I work on my own decluttering projects this year!
This as beautiful!!! You shared the same things that I feel are needed for keeping a home full of love.
Thank you, Mrs. U!! 🙂
I love this post. The items on this list that I do well definitely allow me to be a more efficient, purposeful homemaker! Thanks for this!
God bless,
Patty
Thank you, Patty! So glad you stopped by!
Great insights for how to be a highly effective homemaker.
It’s funny, as an empty nester all of the other 6 of your 7 tips are in place, but the one that has fallen by the wayside, a “set cleaning schedule”. To walk into my house, it is not cluttered and it is always picked up, but it hasn’t been “cleaned”. When my kids were younger, Thursday was housecleaning day. Now I only seem to clean when guests are coming. :-/
You’ve inspired me to get back on track with a regular cleaning schedule. 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Karen! I’m so glad it was inspiring! 🙂
Joy, I just came across your blog via Pinterest, and I feel like I just met a dear friend! What an encouraging woman you are, and I’m looking forward to following along! Blessings.
Oh, that’s sweet, Bethany! So nice to meet you, and I’m glad you found me here!
Thank you for this post. I read a lot of blogs about homemaking and I just love the way you word things. Thank k you for taking the time to write. I do not subscribe to many blogs (4 to be exact) but I am subscribing to yours. Thanks for all the great information.ation you have put up.
Thanks for the encouragement, Laren. So happy to have you here!
This was beyond helpful for me. I am a mom of 4 young children, and this week we have been struggling with a stomach bug. It has been a day of testing every boundary, whining, and loads of laundry. As I type this, there is a mountain of clean clothes on the couch, and I ended up having to just leave it there so I could go to work for the evening. Nothing makes a mom feel like a bad mom, when you leave cranky kids with daddy, and unfinished chores in literally everyone room of the tiny apartment we call home. I printed this off, and will put it up for me to see on a regular basis.
I’m so glad it was helpful, Moriah! Oh, the stomach bug, laundry, and unfinished chores—that’s a combination to discourage any mom. I can relate. And I can tell that you’re a mom who loves her family and works hard. Hope the stomach bug goes away soon and things start looking up!
Oh…. How I need encouragement..
I just feel like I’m never going to be a good house keeper. I can clean and organize anywhere else in the whole world… But… My house. It is a total disaster. And that’s speaking kindly. I’ve tried lists. I bought the book Martha house when you are a Mary. I do not understand why here at my home I fail. I fail miserably every single day. I’ve tried writing scripture on index cards to help me or motivate me.. And oh my goodness if you could see the mess here. You would shame me.. You would say ehew I can’t believe she’s that bad.. She should be ashamed.. and I am. I want my house to be Clean.. Smell Good.. Feel Good.. Look Good.. but I just clutter every thing. If my husband cleans.. And he is amazing in my books how he cleans.. Somehow I mess it up. Make it worse. If I try to clean that’s what happens..I make an even bigger mess.. and I just don’t know why it even how I do it.
Pray for me please. I’ve been praying for 3 years now. I just want to be able to clean my house, myself. I don’t want to hire someone, I want to do it. I know God hears my little plea.
Thank you for this post. I just happened to stumble upon it as I was headed to the great room that looks like a great big mess.. And I read your post.. thank you for encouraging me.. I really could cry because my house defeats me every single day of my life. I know I am capable. I have on my full armor. I know my prayer is going to be answered.
I just can’t wait for Heaven.. It’s going to be so clean!! 🙂
Sherry
Oh, Sherry, don’t feel bad! Our house isn’t perfectly clean, either. 🙂 And it’s more about having a pleasant, loving atmosphere than having everything clean all the time. Of course I’ll pray for you, that you’ll be encouraged and gain victory in this area.
Have you tried FlyLady? I just love her advice, and she’s very encouraging because she helps you get started with baby steps. You don’t have to take it all on at once. She very gently leads you through small steps to getting control of your house. If you get on her email list she’ll also send you email reminders to go through the house and declutter a certain amount of things, or to clean a certain area of the house. You can set a timer and work on decluttering one area for just 15 minutes a day. It’s really doable! And once all the clutter is gone, it’s so much easier to keep things clean.
I highly recommend looking for FlyLady’s book (“Sink Reflections,” by Marla Cilley) at the library or visiting her website. She’s helped so many people! 🙂
Thank you , Joy ! This post gives me much to ponder on , with the pleasure to be an homemaker .
Greetings,
Franca
So glad it was encouraging, Franca!