The FlyLady 31 BabySteps: A January Reset for Your Home

The FlyLady 31 BabySteps: A Simple Guide From Start to Finish

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your home and don’t know where to begin, you are not alone. This is exactly why the FlyLady system exists — to help you move from chaos to calm using small, manageable steps that build over time.

In this post, I’m walking you through all 31 FlyLady BabySteps, explaining what they are and how they work together. You can also watch the full video where I talk through each step in detail and encourage you along the way.

👉 You can watch my Flylady 31 babysteps video course here:

What Are the FlyLady BabySteps?

The FlyLady BabySteps are designed to be done one at a time, in order. You don’t rush ahead, you don’t try to do everything at once, and you don’t beat yourself up if life gets in the way.

Each step helps you build habits that support:

• A calmer home
• Better routines
• Less overwhelm
• and more time and energy for yourself

The key thing to remember with the Flylady 31 baby steps is this:
You are not behind. You just start where you are.

The 31 FlyLady BabySteps (Overview)

Here’s a clear overview of all 31 BabySteps, from beginning to end.

BabySteps 1–5: Getting Yourself Ready

These early steps focus on you rather than your house.

• Shining your sink
• Getting dressed to lace up shoes every morning
• Post it reminders
• Creating the habit of being ready for the day
• Writing down your routines

These small actions create momentum and help shift your mindset.

BabySteps 6–10: Decluttering & Daily Basics

This is where clutter starts to reduce gently.

• 15-minute decluttering sessions
• One room or area at a time
• Simple laundry routines
• Small wins like decluttering your handbag
  
• Start your flylady control journal

No marathon sessions. No exhaustion.

BabySteps 11–15: Routines Begin to Form

Here you start building consistency.

• Using a calnadar
  
• Morning and evening routines
• Daily decluttering becoming a habit
• Using a timer
  
• Meal planning

This is often where things start to feel lighter.

BabySteps 16–20: Systems That Support You

These steps introduce structure without pressure.

• Set a bedtime
• Using timers
• Weekly Home Blessing Hour
• Paper clutter control
• Tackling hot spots
• Add swish and swipe in bathroom

You’re learning how to maintain your home without it taking over your life.

BabySteps 21–23: Zones & Deeper Cleaning

The FlyLady Zone system is introduced here.

• Your home is divided into zones
• You focus on one zone per week
• Decluttering and cleaning are still done in short bursts of up to 15 minutes

This keeps deeper cleaning manageable and realistic.

BabySteps 24–26: Planning & Refining

These steps help reduce daily stress.

• Simple meal planning
• Weekly planning time
• Adjusting routines so they actually work for your life

FlyLady is not about perfection — it’s about practicality.

BabySteps 27–31: Mindset, Self-Care & Confidence

The final steps are just as important as the first.

• Letting go of perfectionism
• Prioritising self-care (drinking water, good sleep, taking breaks)
• Asking for help when you need it
• Making the system your own

By Step 31, you’re no longer just following the flylady system — you understand how to reset when things go off track, which they will from time to time.

A Gentle Reminder

You do not:

• Do all 31 steps at once
• Rush through them
• or restart at Step 1 every time life gets messy

You simply pick up where you are.

Progress is progress — even on hard days.

Watch the Full Video

In the video, I talk through each of the 31 BabySteps, explain how they feel in real life, and encourage you if you’re just starting out or restarting.

👉 Watch the full video here:

Final Thoughts about Flylady system and the 31 baby steps

FlyLady isn’t about having a perfect home.
It’s about creating routines that support your life, not control it.

If you’re working through the Flylady 31 BabySteps, be kind to yourself. Small steps really do add up.

If you’d like more FlyLady tips, cleaning routines, and gentle motivation, you can find more over on my YouTube channel Clean With Kate.

💛 You’ve got this.

Printable FlyLady BabySteps checklist

If you’d like to go deeper, I’ve put together a detailed guide to all 31 FlyLady BabySteps, where I explain each step in more depth and how to work through them at your own pace. I’ve also created a printable FlyLady BabySteps checklist you can download and use at home, so you can tick off each step as you go and see your progress build. Both are designed to help you stay focused, motivated, and kind to yourself as you work through the BabySteps.