What's Grit got to do with it?

Rita McWaters • March 2025

Hey there honey badgers!

Finally, it's spring! Birds are singing, the weather is warming up, and there are a thousand more compelling things to do than checking the air conditioner, inspecting for termites, or digging weeds out of concrete…. Yet, we like ac, bug free homes, and not looking at weeds.

We are also three months into the year, which is a good time to look back and make sure you didn’t skip any crucial chores in the first quarter of the year.

While some of us find the beautiful weather motivating, others are going to have to dig deep and really find our tenacity and grit to get it down this month.

How to Develop Tenacity for Home Maintenance

1. Create Time and Space

Free up your calendar: Look at your commitments for the month. What are you not looking forward to? What do you feel half-hearted about? Cancel it. Remember, "no" is a complete sentence.
Consider a social media break: Need more time to tackle chores? Consider a short two-week social media fast or put a time limit on it. It might create the space and energy you need. Examine how you feel when you get off social media. Do you feel refreshed or happy? Like that was a good use of your time?
Schedule your chores: Tasks won't get done if they aren't scheduled. Block sufficient time on your calendar, including cleanup time.
Plan for setbacks: Schedule catch-up days once a quarter. Use these times to complete any chores that fell off the list. Because life….
Turn off notifications during your chore time to stay focused and bring your full attention to the task.

2. Know Your "Whys"

Define your purpose and visualize success: How could a well-maintained home enhance your life and the lives of those you care about? What would it be like to move from reactive mode to preventive mode? Defining this can help you dig deep and get it done when you really are having a hard time. (If you need help with this, there is an exercise to go through in both our free Prep and Keys course).
Share your vision: Does everyone you live with understand and share your goals? Where do your visions overlap? Where is there friction? Approaching differences with curiosity rather than frustration creates collaboration.
Build support circles: Talk to neighbors, friends, and family about their home maintenance approaches. This not only helps clarify your own goals but creates a network of support.

3. Break Tasks into Small Steps

Focus on one thing at a time: Tell yourself, "All we have to do is get the tools out." Then, "Now we just need to read the directions." Etc. Small, manageable steps make big tasks less intimidating.

4. Make It Fun

Create a positive atmosphere: Turn on music, do a silly dance, get a podcast going. It's harder to stick with something if you see it purely as a chore, so make it a fun atmosphere.
Adjust your mindset: You cannot have fun if you come to the chore frustrated, annoyed, or overwhelmed. If you are feeling those ways, it can sound corny, but it really can help—take a minute and count your blessings. You have a home to love on! You are taking steps towards creating a peaceful home - the more you show up, the calmer everything becomes.
Enjoy the outdoors: Spring maintenance often means working outside. Make it pleasant—make some tea or lemonade, prepare snacks, listen to the birds or your favorite music.
Embrace setbacks: Redefine failure as the inability to persist through challenges, not as making mistakes. When you break something, you're "paying to learn," just as you would for a class. The more you show up and try, the less mistakes you will make over time.
Ignore negativity: Don't let judgmental comments from others discourage you. Hold fast to your goals. Keep your eye on the prize.
Be self-reliant: Even if others aren't on board, take action. "If it needs to be, it's up to me." See yourself as the cause rather than the effect.

Make this Your New Mantra: You only fail if you don’t try again.

Happy Spring!

– Rita

Want to take a short quiz and find out your grit score?

Take a Gritty Quiz

March Tasks

Reoccurring Tasks

If you have a water softener, take a peek at those salt levels.
Is it time to change your HVAC filter? When you are done, mark it in your calendar and order new ones if needed.
Give your washing machine a clean.

Maintain

Clean and inspect the HVAC outdoor unit when it's over 80 degrees out.
Check for termites and other critters.
Clear the concrete of weeds growing in the cracks and between slabs.
Go back and look - did you do the previous months tasks? If not, schedule some time to get them done.

Prep

Haven't been keeping up with home maintenance? Keep it simple and just do these tasks to start. These tasks are the one and done tasks you can do that will make future maintenance and DIY task so much easier.