I just can’t go to sleep with a sink full of dishes. Even if the rest of the kitchen is clean, those plates, pots and pans, silverware, etc. feel unfinished—and somehow disruptive, even chaotic. To me, they disturb the order of the world.  Taking ten minutes to load the dishwasher, wipe the counters, and reset the room makes the whole house – and me -- feel calmer.

Maybe I was opposite trained by mom who had a different approach and thought process. If the day had been long, she was perfectly happy to leave the dishes until morning and attack them fresh after a good night’s sleep. There is real wisdom in that and some time management strategy, too --  not every task needs to be completed immediately.

For me, though, a clean kitchen is a small gift to my day – better said, my next day.  It makes the morning coffee feel a little more peaceful—and the day starts on a better note.

Where do you fall on this choice?