If taking care of your home feels like one never-ending list, you are in the right place.
The Marilyn’s Way Method is a simple approach to homekeeping, decluttering, and intentional living. It helps you create a calmer, more manageable home without spending your entire day cleaning.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is to create a simple rhythm that helps you care for your home while still having time and energy for your life.
Small Steps. Simple Habits. Intentional Living.
Is the Marilyn’s Way Method for You?
This method may be helpful if you:
- Feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin
- Become distracted easily
- Live with chronic pain, fatigue, or limited energy
- Work outside the home or care for other people
- Have clutter that has built up over time
- Have tried other homekeeping plans that felt too complicated
- Want routines that can work during different seasons of life
You do not have to do everything at once. In fact, you shouldn’t.
The Marilyn’s Way Method is designed to be learned one step at a time.
Why I Created the Marilyn’s Way Method
There was a season in my life when I spent most of my time in pajamas. My home was filled with clutter, and I had pathways through the rooms.
I wanted things to change, but I couldn’t seem to get started.
I also live with fibromyalgia, ADHD, and other health challenges. I needed a practical way to care for my home that worked with my energy instead of demanding more than I could give.
My turning point began with one small habit: getting dressed each morning.
In March 2011, I challenged myself to get dressed and post a photo every day. I continued for 436 consecutive days.
Getting dressed didn’t magically clean my home, but it changed how I began my day. It helped me move forward with more purpose.
From there, I began studying what helped me stay on track and what caused me to become overwhelmed. Those lessons became the Marilyn’s Way Method.
The Four Parts of the Marilyn’s Way Method
There are four parts to the method. Each one builds on the part before it.
You will not begin all four at once.
Step 1: The 9 Daily Habits
The 9 Daily Habits are the foundation of the Marilyn’s Way Method.
They take care of the everyday things that can quickly make a home feel overwhelming, including getting dressed, laundry, meals, tidying, and preparing for tomorrow.
This is where everyone begins.
The Daily Habits give you a place to return when life gets busy or your home begins to feel out of control.
Step 2: The Weekly Habits
Once the 9 Daily Habits begin to feel familiar, you can gradually add the Weekly Habits.
Each day of the week has a general purpose. This helps you know what deserves your attention without trying to remember and accomplish everything every day.
You are not doing everything daily. You are giving different responsibilities their own place in your week.
Step 3: The Five Home Zones
The third part of the Marilyn’s Way Method divides your home into five Zones:
- Entry and Dining Room
- Kitchen
- Bathroom and One Extra Room
- Bedroom
- Living Room
Instead of trying to deep-clean your entire house at once, you give one Zone a little extra attention.
When working in a Zone, remember:
Declutter first. Tidy and clean second.
Choose one drawer, one cabinet, one shelf, or one small area.
Never take out more than you can realistically finish.
Step 4: Monthly Decluttering Events
Monthly Decluttering Events give you one area or type of clutter to focus on at a time.
If you are beginning with a large amount of clutter, the monthly focus helps you work through it without trying to tackle your entire home at once.
If you have practiced the Marilyn’s Way Method for a while, the Monthly Decluttering Events help you maintain the progress you have already made.
Decluttering happens in layers. You can return to the same area again and make more decisions when you are ready.
Please Don’t Start With All Four Parts
It may be tempting to read this page and think you need to begin the Daily Habits, Weekly Habits, Home Zones, and Monthly Decluttering Events tomorrow.
You don’t.
Trying to begin everything at once will only make the method feel like another overwhelming list.
Start with the foundation: the 9 Daily Habits.
Practice them until they begin to feel familiar. You don’t need to perform every habit perfectly. You are simply creating a rhythm you can return to each day.
When you are ready, you can gradually add the next part.
What If You Don’t Have Enough Energy?
Do what you reasonably can with the time and energy you have today.
Some days, you may complete the 9 Daily Habits and have energy for something extra.
Other days, getting dressed, making the bed, and dealing with the most important task may be enough.
You are not behind.
Life happens. Energy changes. Unexpected things come up.
The Marilyn’s Way Method gives you a place to begin again without trying to catch up on everything at once.
Your First Step: Learn the 9 Daily Habits
Now that you understand how the Marilyn’s Way Method is organized, it is time to begin with its foundation.
In the next article, I will introduce you to each of the 9 Daily Habits, explain why it matters, and show you how the habits flow together throughout your day.
You don’t have to get your entire home under control today.
You only need a place to begin.
NEXT STEP: LEARN THE 9 DAILY HABITS
Small Steps. Simple Habits. Intentional Living.
Marilyn’s Way
I’m joining. I’m all in!
Great! Happy to have you!
What do you mean by “dress to shoes” like fully dress, including putting your shoes on?
Yes. It is important to create yourself a simple uniform so you don’t have to do so much thinking into getting dressed each day. That would be if you are at home. Shoes can be lace ups or slip ons. I started out with lace ups Dut have moved into slip ons because of my gardening.
When I am not working my part time job I wear a sports bra, tank top and shorts or pants depending on the season. I wear Clark mule shoes. Hope this helps! Thank you for commenting!
I’m confused. Isn’t this the Fly Lady System?
That is exactly what I am thinking as I read this.
Happy you brought this up! Yes, back in 2005 I started following FlyLady. I tried to do it in my pajamas and all I found myself doing was moving my clutter from one side of the house to the other while the dishes, laundry and paperwork piled up. Flylady suggested to get dressed to shoes. After not getting anywhere I decided to take a personal challenge in March of 2011 Get Dressed To Shoes. I posted a selfie daily on Flylady’s Facebook Page for 436 Consecutive days and have only missed 2 days when I had back surgery in October of 2019.
Because I live with Chronic Illnesses like Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, am ADD and a long list of more, I simply could not do all of what Flylady asked. What I did is went to work studying all home keeping systems that I had also tried, mixed it up with my bachelor degree in Home Economics and Marketing, work experience and training from Fortune 500 Corporations and lots of research.
My main focus is the 9 Daily Habits Home Keeping Made SIMPLE. There are some similarities to Flylady in which I went to her to ask for her blessing to use them and she said yes. Just the same way Flylady followed the Slob Sisters and used part of their system with their blessing.
My system is set up with the focus of 9 Daily Habits that keep your day running smoothly. There are weekly habits, zone work and then what is different is I hold Monthly Events for Decluttering with All Over Home held 3 times a year and Clothes, Paper and Kitchen held twice a year. Once a person gets their main decluttering done the monthly events serve as maintenance.
I hope this helps you better understand the difference. FlyLady has her system but has moved more into the business of selling cleaning products, written a couple of books. We talk about every 3 weeks. We are great friends and she traveled from North Carolina to South Dakota to visit me back in November of 2012. I have been on several of here talk radio of Flylady and Friends. She is a great mentor!
It’s a great system and works for me. Thanks!
Thanks! In this day of ‘Information Overload’ I know how important it is to have a system that is SIMPLE. We can become pulled in so many directions that having a SIMPLE home keeping system will keep you grounded.
Happy you are doing the system and making it your own!
Marilyn
I am sooooo happy I found you! I follow you on Facebook and thank you for all you do! I have also hired you for extra help with you as my coach! You and I are now tackling my home together to make it “company ready” at all times! Thank you so much Marilyn!
Yes for those who don’ know I have a Coaching Program for those who want personal help from me to get established.
It is great working with you and you are making wonderful strides! Looking forward to finding out what you are learning about yourself from this process.
Yes, I am happy you found me! What a lovely lady you are!
Marilyn
I love Marilyns system, Flylady just seemed too complicated
Thank you! I love Marla and FlyLady. We are great friends and she visited me in November of 2012. It was her that got me started on this journey. I found her in 2005 trying to do her system as a pajama junkie. I have lived with Fibromyalgia since 1989. It creates all kinds of havoc on one’s body and mind. It is all over body pain and brain fog.
In 2011 I took a personal challenge of ‘Getting Dressed To Shoes’ and posted a photo daily on her Facebook page for 436 consecutive days.
Happy I established the habit, I still couldn’t do everything that she asks. So I went to work studying all the home keeping systems, mixed it in with my Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics with a minor in Marketing. I also worked as outside sales in communications for Fortune 500 corporations and I learned in 1996 I have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I gathered all the information I could learn on the subject to better myself. Much of how the system Marilyn’s Way Home Keeping Made SIMPLE is based on making it easier for ones who get easily distracted.
Becoming ‘Consistent’ in my daily activities is where I found my happy place. Therefore, establishing a set of habits that became 9 Daily Habits Home Keeping Made SIMPLE and breaking them up into 3 parts of the day is what I felt I could manage. I tried several different ones until I came with these 9 Daily Habits.
There are 3 more parts to the system and they are all derived on establishing habits. (Creating habits that become automatic take less energy) The 3 additional parts are weekly habits, zone work and monthly decluttering events.
It was important to set it up this way because you can do what you have time for each day. Some days you can do a little of each part, where there are days you are lucky to get all the 9 Daily Habits done. For it is in understanding that not all days are the same and having the flexibility allows you to ‘Never Feel Behind’. That is very important! There are enough stressors in our lives.
Thank you for being a member of Marilyn’s Way and practicing the system I created! I am so happy you took a chance on me and the system is working for you!
Marilyn
This system is the best. I followed a few years ago on FB and then decided I needed a digital detox other than work, but here I am again ready to get started and hopefully incorporate my teenager into the mix so she can start with the skills at a pace she can grasp and continue to follow throughout her life. I love that you have everything laid out here without having to be on FB to get the help I so desperately need to stay on task.
Pingback: Decision Fatigue, Decluttering And Self Care - Marilyn's Way
Pingback: Weekly Habits - Monday Is Planning Day - Marilyn's Way
Pingback: The 9 daily habits to keep your home clean are the foundation of the Marilyn’s Way homekeeping system, helping you stay organized and in control every day.