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A SLOB COMES CLEAN

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The Power of External Motivation

June 17, 2010 By Dana White | 5 Comments

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We’re headed for Six Flags today!!!  And I . . . . feel completely justified treating it as a play day, no menial tasks, much less big tasks, required. 

However, there was chicken in the fridge.  Chicken I purchased on Saturday . . .  and it’s now Thursday.  Chicken that says “sell by June 18th” and could start stinking soon.  Chicken that has to be trimmed and divided on a Monday or Thursday so that the packaging can go out in the next day’s trash and not make my home smell like . . . . well . . . . dead stuff.

And it’s Thursday. 

And by Monday, the shtank would be in full force, and the chicken would very possibly be bad, and my great deal would be completely wasted. 

So I trimmed that chicken, put half in the freezer and half in the oven and am pretty proud of myself.  The external motivation of a stinky house and 25 dollars down the drain are pretty powerful.

More motivation came this morning when hubby suggested inviting his family over for a Father’s Day Fish Fry.  Like tomorrow or Saturday. 

I will take this moment to stand and applaud for myself over the fact that my sweet husband would even think this is a valid suggestion.  One year ago, pre-blog, I would have given him the crazy-eyes if he had said anything like that.  Obviously, his faith in me has grown.  And I’m also impressed with myself for not having even a slight pulse-quickening at the thought. 

However, it’s amazing how much my eyes open with a bit of external motivation.  Especially the kind that ends in -in-law.  I suddenly see that I’ve never thrown away those flowers . . . from Mother’s Day.  I suddenly have a desire to clean out my fridge.  I am suddenly finding that motivation I need to declutter those surfaces in the office . . . especially since I’ve been working to train guests to use the cutesy little half-bath back there instead of the pee-stained kids’ bathroom.  For so long, they couldn’t walk through that room, so it’s taken some effort to change their habits.  

No matter how much I believe in the value of making our home orderly for the sake of my own family, it always helps to have that outside push. 

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post Focus Check Friday
Read Older Post Meeting Resistance . . . From Myself

Filed Under: figuring myself out, Summer | 5 Comments

Comments

  1. LilyBelleMommy says

    June 17, 2010 at 3:35 pm

    Hi Nony and thank you for having a completely enthralling blog I can read every day! I look forward to it. Also thank you for your comment on my purse getting stolen. I pretty much have everything back now. I wish also I could have seen the look on that person's face when they found doll clothes and hello kitty ;0)

    Reply
  2. NorCalMom says

    June 17, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    You are right, there is nothing like a little extra push from an external motivator. Funny how we see things in a completely different light.

    You are doing great! Have fun at Six Flags!

    Reply
  3. Annie says

    June 17, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    Nony, I totally am with you on the external motivators! When my Mother-in-law comes my house gets really clean! I wish that it would stay that way after she leaves. Thanks for sharing. I love reading your blog, and following along on your journey.

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    June 18, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    I am the same way – I always clean way better when we are going to have visitors than when it is just for us, which makes me feel bad sometimes.

    Reply
  5. Kate says

    June 25, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    I have the same problem with meat packaging (I live in San Antonio and summer trash is the worst). I put meat packaging into a plastic grocery bag and put it back into the freezer, then I toss that on trash day. It makes such a big, big difference!

    Reply

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