The Swiss are known as the “innkeepers of the world”, and with good reason, their city, shops, hotels, restaurants and trains run like clockwork and look great doing it. So how do they do it, and how can their methods translate into your own home life?

Secret 1: Everyone participates.

All Swiss citizens feel responsible for their environment and actively participate in keeping it tidy by following the rules of good citizenship. Evaluate your family, does everyone participate in keeping the house clean and tidy? All members of his family, including children, are “citizens of the world”. This means that everyone must assume the responsibilities of the home. Even the youngest members of the family should be encouraged to do simple tasks. They can be as simple as helping mom put toys away at the end of the day or, for older kids, vacuuming the floor. Homework should be treated as a normal part of daily activities in which everyone collaborates, it should not be used as a punishment or paid as a reward.

Secret 2: Having too much stuff.

Americans are in love with things. We have too much of that. We buy until we drop, we buy on impulse, we buy what we don’t need, what we already have or think we can’t live without. Is it really necessary to have 6 pairs of jeans, a tea bag squeezer or a mushroom brush? Swiss refrigerators and cabinets tend to be small so they don’t buy more than can be stored and tend to run out of what they have before buying more. They are avid recyclers and have been for many years.

Secret 3: Smaller Goals = Bigger Accomplishments

The Swiss take a leisurely two-hour lunch. They prefer to add an extra hour to their working day rather than give up this civilized tradition. Realize that reaching your goals is good, but they don’t have to be achieved in a day. Doing thorough work takes time, so build in rest periods. For large projects, like cleaning a very messy space, break the work into small increments of time to make the task less overwhelming. Allow 15-30 minutes a day and stay on task. Creating a schedule also helps. Devote one day strictly to laundry or grocery shopping. Allocate one day just for cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms. Once again, small tasks make work bearable.

Find a system that works for you, and remember that starting a good habit takes at least 30 days before it takes hold, so stick with it.

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