Okay, it's the first Sunday of the New Year, and I am here to set some baby step goals that I might actually accomplish my 2009 "to-do" list.
Because I am the world's worst housekeeper, I am going to use Flylady as my coach. Heard of her? She takes women just like me, who are drowning in the chaos of their homes, and she transforms them one baby step at a time. So...the baby step for this week is that I must shine my sink every night before I go to bed. The whole premise is that when you wake up to a shining sink, your day starts out better. I guess I'll buy that. It means no more going to sleep with dirty dishes in the sink, and I think that's a step in the right direction.
The other thing the Flylady encourages is getting dressed first thing every morning. Which, if you are not a stay-at-home mom, that might seem like an obvious statement, but there are days that I see noon before I take my pajamas off. And on a very bad day, Scott may come home to an unshowered wife. Not a good situation, folks. So...my new plan is to wake up at the stinkin' crack of dawn, take a shower, fix myself a nice cup of hot tea (not diet coke) and sit down with my bible all before Ada wakes up. It feels impossible to do this, but I know it would make my days go better.
** side note--I am a person who absolutely thrives on order and control, so when I don't have some sort of schedule going things just sort of fall apart around me. I think that I am into month 17 of being a stay at home mom, and I still haven't quite figured out how to make this my job. Everyday still sort of feels like a Saturday, so nothing gets done. I know this to be true because the first few months after Scott and I got married, I didn't have a job, and I had no children. I thought I would get so much done around the house, but I was going stir crazy. I finally found a tutoring job for the summer before I started teaching the next fall, and all of a sudden I could get things done again. Something about being inside my house ALL DAY LONG prevents me from getting anything done around the house. Combine that with a 17 month old trailing behind me all day, and well, our house is a bit of a disaster. Anyway...I am trying to turn that fact around starting this week.
And one last goal for the week, I have to make my bed first thing everyday. It's like the sink and the bed will be my control points. They will be the spring board from which everything else gets done. It's amazing how much it works. The other night it was nearly midnight, and I was not in bed and there were still dirty dishes in the sink. But I took the time to clean the kitchen anyway, and I was on top of the world. It made me feel a bit more in control of my home, so I am sticking to it. 2008 was the year I got our finances somewhat under control. 2009 is the year I get my housekeeping skills under control. I'll keep you posted.
p.s. the diet coke elimination starts this week as well. One a day. Oh, I hate to give it up, but I know that I have to once and for all. I am stocking my fridge with plenty of bottled water to grab when I want a diet coke. And hot tea in the morning. It's perfect timing to do this actually because Ada is just now old enough to want to drink a sip of my diet coke when I have it. I have a feeling that water won't have the same appeal.
Happy first full week of 2009, everyone. Let's make it a successful one.
4 comments:
Love your baby steps! You can do it, LB! I am like this as well - my kitchen has to be clean before bed and the bed DOES get made up when I exit it. It's just something that makes the bedroom and even other parts of the house appear so much more in order. You can do it. Only a few minutes so that you can feel joyful all day long!
Also, did you do Diet Coke while pregnant? I am having a hard time quitting Coke and drinking tons of water. Ah!!
Those all sound like really good steps. You are so organized! I bought 2 newspapers today...we'll see how it goes in this new couponing you have inspired. i'm off wed and thurs next week. i'm hosting bunko thurs night and you are welcome to come! i don't know if that would be a fun escape or a stressful late night. :) anyone, i want to talk to you one on one and not with a lot of people too. i can come to mcdonough too. i really want to see your house! mine's just rented. maybe adam and i could make dinner and bring it to you. i have no kids and hardly a budget. :) let mw know your plans! so excited about the opportunity to see you!
Great baby steps! I swear, it feels like I am reading my own thoughts when I am reading your last few posts. We definitely need to meet one day! I know what you mean when you say there are some days when you don't even shower. I have no idea where my time goes, but it just flies by. I despise ironing, so that has been one of my goals for my husband...to iron some of his work clothes. Baby steps...why do they sometimes seem like GIANT steps??
You can do it! :) Burton and I recently got rid of a ton of stuff, and have been making an effort to keep all our spaces clean and free of clutter--mail organized, dishes put away, clothes hung up, etc. It is amazing how much more spacious and peaceful our home feels. Our one-bedroom apartment doesn't feel like a dorm--it's more like a retreat. When I look at my home, I don't see a giant to-do list of undone chores anymore. Of course, it helps a ton that we have gotten rid of a bunch of extra crap (it really was just crap) and are not acquiring more.
It will definitely help you if Scott gets in on the action a little bit--just to make the home organization and peacefulness a shared responsibility. Sharing the responsibility for keeping order has actually spurred Burton and me to compete (in a good way) both to handle our own messes and to take the shared work off each other's shoulders. In the end, we feel more in control--because the apartment is orderly--and more blessed--because we're showing each other love by caring for the space we share together.
We'll see how well we apply these habits if we ever end up with a house and a baby--but in the meantime we'll practice as much as we can! I'm sure following your resolutions will bring more peace to you and the other Moores. :)
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