Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Write on Wednesday – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter

when-im-writing-i-write-every-day.-its-lovely-when-thats-happening.-one-day-dovetailing-into-the-next.-sometimes-i-dont-even-know-what-day-of-the-week-it-is.-raymond-carver

What day is today? I never seem to know anymore. Yesterday, I didn’t realize it was Friday until 8 pm. Like the trendy meme says, “I wish days of the week underwear were still a thing.” If they were, I might have a fighting chance. My life is a jumble of agendas, must-dos, obligations, and deadlines. My calendar dictates my activities, but even with careful planning, my world lacks structure.

Working from home, I no longer endure my everyday commute or notice the signposts separating my workdays from the weekend. My typical day job routine starts earlier and ends later than when I worked in an office. This difference results from shifting evening family duties into previously verboten work hours. Without clear delineation, business hours leak into the entire week. Experts tell us increased screen time messes with our internal clocks. Between computer for the day job, Zoom calls, smartphones, games, and streaming my favorite shows, I find myself forever sucked into the evil blue light. I bet the reduced winter daylight and my general anxiety are contributing to my nighttime insomnia. Is it any wonder my biggest daily challenge is dragging my butt out of bed in the morning?

As crazy as it might sound, the answer is more organization. Those silly experts say set routines, provide clues and markers to distinguish Friday from Sunday. In the Pre-Industrial Revolution society, women adhered to the “Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday” arrangement. Maybe it helped them distinguish the days of the week more easily. An assigned task for each weekday was common enough to appear in nursery rhymes and folk songs. There is comfort in knowing what is expected on each specific day, though I plan to update the poem to suit my needs more accurately. I propose to write essays on Monday, short stories on Tuesday, and maybe flash fiction on Wednesday?

Do you have specific days for certain tasks?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

12 thoughts on “Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Write on Wednesday – Daily Quote”

  1. Even though I am retired, I have specific days for certain tasks. I like routine and organization because it helps me meet my goals. I am a highly motivated person and like to stay busy!

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  3. So about three minutes ago I cited Raymond Carver to another blogger. Brevity, meet wit. (Because his stories are so short.) As for doing things on certain days, there’s less of that nowadays, especially. I mean, there’s no reliant going to church on Sunday as much as it’s a matter of turning on the computer as is done every day. I think your use of organization is adept because you see it as a hammer, not the house that’s being built. And the way you describe organizing is helpful for my learning more about it.

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    • Organization, planning, they are all tools. I have a lot of energy and it is unsettling to have minutes when I am waiting for something else to happen and I have nothing to occupy my time. Games on my phone and watching tv don’t work for me. My planning started to minimize my anxiety. My organization tricks and habits evolved because I hate not being able to find something. I am happy to share what I have learned. 🙏💗

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  4. This is exactly what I need to do… plan, organize better. Somehow, the year started and I am involved in so many things, that I don’t have time to THINK anymore. Being creative, my mind draws a blank. So… I need to quiet my brain and get back to basics. Good post.

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      • Yes, I just belong to a lot of different writing things. Nice, but it’s like Facebook where people talk and talk and never take a break. At some point, I have to move away knowing that I’ve learned enough — and need to get back to my own writing and a free mind.

        ALSO, people are so competitive on finding an Agent, getting critiqued, etc. A lot of people want to be writers. SO, GOOD LUCK to you too!!

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