So, What's New With You, Jean?
I can’t believe you asked that. But, I had it coming. The blog’s been perilously silent the last several days. Trust me, you’ll probably wish it remained that way after tonight. But somebody, somewhere has been wondering, so here goes.
Clutter has been driving me nuts. My house isn’t that bad, but it isn’t that good, either. I will be moving early next year, so I need to get rid of stuff I know I don’t want before then. It just makes sense. I’d also like to get in the habit of keeping a neater house. My friend Valerie over at In My Little World and The G.I. Way — Day by Day has been following Fly Lady for a couple of months now. I looked in on FLY Lady a couple of years ago, but I just didn’t see it for myself. I’ve changed my mind. I subscribed, and now I’m getting the reminder emails and the testmonials and several other emails each day (I delete the ones that aren’t right for me and use the rest to help me accomplish my goals). There are really two principles to getting started: Don’t go to bed until you’ve shined your kitchen sink, and you can do anything in 15 minutes. Of course, the secret is to start where you are and work from there.
Each week focuses on a different area of your home, and eventually, if you keep at it a few minutes at a time, you get the clutter picked up. Each month focuses on a different trouble area. For many people, that trouble area is laundry. August’s focus has been laundry. I’m blessed that laundry has never been a problem for me, but I don’t have several kids to try to keep up with either. I still remember what it was like when I was a kid and there were six of us living in the house — there was always laundry to be done, so I understand why they’ve spent the month focusing on getting into the habit of tossing a load in the washer first thing in the morning. I also understand why they’ve emphasized not letting it sit in the washer and making sure it gets put away when it’s clean and dry.
So, in short, I’ve been working FLY Lady routines. Several major clutter areas are now GONE. The multiple rows of books TBR on my dresser? Put away. The clutter on my bathroom sink? Gone. The Rubbermaid boxes of extra toiletries stacked next to the bed? Labeled and stacked in the closet where I can get to the one I need when I need it (next to the bed, things always got stacked on them). The clutter on the ice cream table in the living room that’s been driving me nuts for months? Gone. None of these things took more than 15 minutes at a crack to knock them out. Most of them took less.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I have LOTS more “Hot Spots” — the places clutter tends to collect, but I’ll get them cleared up over time, and keep them from coming back.
What else? I got the shipment from Amazon. I’ve been reading The Dip. It’s a short book, but I’m going to have to read it again. There are some depressing things in there, but I think when I get through them and take the time to reflect on them, I think I’ll have learned some useful information that I can apply. And that’s not depressing — that’s invigorating.
I moved to a new office in a new building Monday to do most of the job I was doing as well as a new job. I’m really looking forward to retiring, and it can’t come soon enough. Until then, I have this to get through. Repeat after me: Cul de Sac. If you don’t know what that means, you haven’t read The Dip. Go get it. You owe it to yourself to know when to quit and when to push through.
Heh. Maybe the infection will spread. 😛
Infection? I was considering it more of an inspiration. Whatever it is, it’s a good feeling to get those things that have been driving you buggy taken care of — and with just a little focus and effort here and there.
Et tu, Brute??? I get Flylady e-mails, too, and for some reason they just irritate me. I don’t know why. Maybe they’re just too darn cheerful in the morning. Maybe they remind me of my BO mother’s (and grandmother’s) nagging to clean my room. Having said that, I have taken some of her principals and applied them to my house. I’ve devoted one hour a day to cleaning my house. Some days I go right through the hour, some days it’s in 10 minute increments. I’m making progress, and I’m making it BAREFOOT, darn it!!
My real inspiration is a show on BBC America. Have you ever watched “How Clean Is Your House”? They go into these nasty houses–a thousand times worse than mine at its worst–and muck them out. They do lab tests to show bacteria and dust mite levels in the houses to show that it’s not healthy to live in a dirty environment. Invariably, by the first commercial break I’m up to clean something!
LOL. That’s what I thought about the emails at first. Of course, I don’t get mine until I get home from work. I confess I’m barefoot in the evening and usually have slides on during the weekends. I do make sure I keep my sink clean — I’ve grown to like that.
For example, since laundry is not a problem area for me (I do two -three loads a week tops on Sunday afternoon), I delete all the laundry emails. I delete the kid emails (no kids). When I first looked at the program, I didn’t subscribe to the emails — I thought it would be too annoying. So far, I’m ok with them.
The key for me, and I notice she emphasizes this to, is to start where you are. I see many things that need to be taken care of in my house, but I’m doing one or two items a day, and, generally, I’m letting the FlyLady email prompt me. I like the results, it’s not interrupting the rest of my life, and I always prepped for the next day the night before anyway, so that’s not much of a change. Except for the sink. I’m now doing the sink, and I’m amazed at how good it feels. I really think that might be a key.
I use FlyLady too, and she does help. I’ve started – and fallen – during the 31-day beginners basics plan I dunno how many times. Day nine screws me up, but I keep trying.
I do the shining sink (it has to be done before I go to bed or I just can’t sleep) make the bed, set out the clothes, and the swish and swipe. Just doing those makes life run so much smoother. I am not as dedicated to doing the fling boogies, hot spots, or zone tasks. But I try.
And, yeah, a clean sink does feel pretty good. 🙂
Way to go! We’ve recently starte something similar; no computer time each night until one room has been completely cleaned. And by god it works! The house is amazingly clean and dust free and we have bench space and wow!
So go Fly lady – I don’t know who you are, but I like your work 😉
Tambo, I’ m stuck on Day 9, too. I wonder what it is?
Meryl, check the link in the post. You can do it too — the only hassle for you is the emails go out on US East Coast time. That could be very interesting on your end! Even if you don’t sign up formally, there’s plenty of info on the site to adopt what works for you now. But I’m glad you’re doing something that works for you. It feels so much better to have things tucked where they belong.
Day 9? Getting the routines rolling? They are saving my life!
Grin. I struggle will making the notes to put in the kitchen and bathroom. I haven’t formalized the 2-minute drill or the 15-minute drill yet, but I find myself doing it impromptu more and more. Last night I finally picked up two cases of water, an outdoor extension cord, and a box of printer paper that were sitting inside my front door and had been for several months and moved them to somewhere more appropriate.
This morning, I pulled out my Swiffer duster with the extension handle and whipped it over the TV, VCR, and doorway tops in the kitchen, living room, and dining room.
So, while I haven’t formalized them well, I am beginning to get in the habit of doing them.
I was wondering what you were up to. I thought you might be on vacation, too. But instead you’re being menaced by an insect woman. I think I watched a movie like that once that starred Jeff I-Was-The-Annoying-One-In-Jurassic-Park. It ended badly for him as I recall.
I know several people who swear by the Fly Lady. I also know several people who swear at the Fly Lady. But you have inspired me. As I look at the wreck of my house, I have resolved to start the Fly Lady. Or move. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’ll do. Move.
Order Murder by Dewey Decimal here!
Great idea, Tech. If you lose half the boxes you pack stuff in, it’ll be clutter free in the new place too. Do have fun with that! 😛