Over the past few months, as I’ve gotten to the point where many areas of my home are under control more than they ever were pre-blog, I have started cleaning up and organizing areas that are particularly difficult. Areas where getting started is the hardest part.
Like the Laundry Room.
Or the playroom.
If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed that my newest self-talk phrase is: “Do the Easy Stuff First!”
I thought I would put this concept into its own post so I can link back later for new readers.
I’m pretty sure that this is a “duh” concept for normal people. Most likely, they don’t have to repeat it to themselves over and over to keep from hyperventilating.
Not that I would know, since I’ve never been normal.
I’ve shared my steps for cleaning up a very messy house. Part of that process is not worrying about the areas which are out of sight and out of mind. But my heart desires that ultimately, this deslobification process will include the out-of-sight places, They are MY places, so they’re never truly out-of-my-mind.
I’m always one lost office supply away from tears of frustration over my inability to keep them under control.
Since my Slob Vision causes messes to be viewed as one big insurmountable problem instead of individual small problems, I sometimes get paralyzed before I even start. Which means I don’t start, and the problem gets worse.
So . . . . I do the Easy Stuff first.
I remove, or put back in place, the things that have a designated home somewhere else in the house (or even in that room . . . sometimes two feet away). Like dirty laundry that’s on the floor. Or a bicycle in the playroom. Or a life-jacket in the master bedroom. Or something else that probably only happens in my home.
I’m generally amazed at how much Easy Stuff there is in the disaster-zone I’m tackling.
Once I get the Easy Stuff out of there, the Hard Stuff isn’t any less hard, but it is less. Meaning the piles are smaller and my despair-level is lower. And the visual progress from removing the Easy Stuff spurs me on to tackle more.
Make sense?
Concepts like these that seem to be simple for others, but are life-changing for me, are why I have this blog. My tag-line is “Figuring Out Why I am this Way, and What I Can Do to Change” . . . and that’s what I’m doing. I’m figuring myself out.
I’m accepting that my slob-brain doesn’t see the easy stuff as easy stuff until I verbally tell it to. And I’m perfectly fine with verbally telling it, if that’s what I need to do to get this mess cleaned up.
I’ll be linking this up to Works for Me Wednesday over at wearethatfamily.com and to the Homemaking Link-Up at Raising Homemakers.
Thanks for your blog! I found it the day I had to enter bills into my ledger with a crayon because I could not find any of our pens in the clutter. You have inspired me to keep trying to get it all under control!
Oh my word, Liz, I laughed so loudly when I read your comment! So totally a thing I would have to do!!!
Totally understand. I actually did that this morning when I bagged up a bunch of recycling in my kitchen and just got it down to the garage. Not 100% taken care of yet (still need to take it all to the recycling center), but it is no longer overwhelming me when I see my kitchen. Doing the easy stuff first works.
I just wanted to say that I think you have come a long way! Your blog (and your attitude to becoming less of a slob) are inspirational! I think we are very harsh on ourselves and have such high expectations. One of my favourite quotes is 'we can have it all – but not all at the same time!
This is so true! I was getting really discouraged with the state of our bathroom, but after putting all the dirty laundry in the hamper (instead of on the floor) the rest of the room seemed immediately better, and easier to clean.
I love reading all your tips to make a household WORK. you're not going for perfect, just for what works for you. Thanks!
Thanks for the reminder and I just thought I'd let you know that I out it into practice this morning. I just kept thinking, if I get this out of the way it will look a little better.
http://family6-time.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-not-perfect.html
Thanks for linking up at Works for Me Wednesday. We're moving in two months, so de-cluttering and organizing are on my mind. Your blog is quite motivating and encouraging, just what I need!
Don't be so hard on yuurself. I think it's hard for everyone to find the tape now and then (or every time I look for it). One time I just went to the dollar store and bought like 7 pairs of scissors, I got so sick of it. Kids multiply the chaos by like ten-milloin too.
Life Jacket in the bedroom, ha. I know that feeling.
yuurself. Gah! Perhaps I won't be so mysuulf either! Oh and miioin! Dear Lord, I should proof..
I LOVE your blog! I can relate and am trying once again to get my house in order. It always helps when I have company and do the "panic clean", then I always hope that I can keep the parts of the house that are clean, clean and work on the rest of the house, but by the time I have company again, I'm starting over. Agh! Anyway, your post of Mondays being the most important day of the wk totally struck home w/ me this wk. I was out running errands and didn't get the housework done and wow, but a difference (not in a good way). Now my Mondays are housework days. It never struck me how important that day is until you posted that and it 'clicked'. Thank-you!
OMG! I do the “company panic clean” at least once a week! While my company sits on my couch and I run around my house like a nutter to get it at least company-worthy! LOL! Thought I was the only one!
We have a huge mess in our basement to clean up and organize. I will definitely be tackling the easy stuff first.
One theory behind the "I don't know where to start" problem is that those with the problem are actually perfectionists. They become paralyzed by the fear of failing, and so find it pointless to begin. I was this way with any kind of big project in school. For whatever reason, I was convinced I just couldn't do it. I always got good grades in the end, but only after the stress of leaving the project until the last minute, then rushing and even staying up all night to finish it in time. I think tackling messes in our homes can be like that. The mess just looks too large to be handled. Breaking an impossible task down into smaller pieces is the only way to get over those fears and accomplish the goal! I like The Fly Lady's saying – "I can do anything for 15 minutes!". There are a lot of things I CAN'T do for 15 minutes, but as far as housework is concerned, it's true!
I always just start on one corner of a room. I have to work from one corner to the next – so at least something is clean so it motivates me to keep on going. I feel succesful that way. Once I finish one room I normally want to keep on going.
Love the Easy Stuff First idea! And I'm enjoying reading through your back posts–entertaining and inspirational!
Thanks SAHMmy!
I hope you don’t mind I featured your blog with a link back in a post on Spring Cleaning, feel free to grab a feature button if you wish and I love your blog, I wish I could get my husband to convert
http://www.missinformationblog.com/2012/04/spring-cleaning-tips.html
I love it! Thanks, Kelley!