Some people are Born Organized: my mom, my mother-in-law, and surprisingly, Sasha (or so it would appear). But I don't naturally come to the art of preventive housekeeping, and so by the time I get to something, it's too big a task to finish quickly or easily. And since I can't finish it quickly or easily, I wait until I have enough time and energy. And this means, of course, that it never ever happens at all.
Eneter FlyLady. Ah, FlyLady. She has worked many a miracle and changed many a life. Some of you are familiar with her already. For those of you who are not, allow me to explain: FlyLady is the Moses of disorganized housekeepers, leading us to the Promised Land of peaceful, clean homes.
FlyLady sends nagging emails every day reminding us that we need to figure out early in the day what we're serving for dinner. She tells us when to change our sheets, when to vacuum, when to go grocery shopping. She promises us that even a half-assed job sometimes is better than nothing at all.
Of course, it's one thing for her to tell you what to do, and it's another thing completely to actually DO it. I was one of FlyLady's first thousand FlyBabies. I've made a couple of attempts at obedience over the last few years, but been foiled by circumstance and by myself.
The amazing thing, though, is that every time I try, I get better at it. This gives me all manner of hope. So a few weeks ago, I started up again. So far, so good. I've been doing long-neglected chores like, say, folding laundry, or putting boxes of outgrown baby clothes in the attic. I've been washing my face twice a day, taking my vitamins, making the bed in the morning... it's really wonderful.
Right now, FlyLady is having the Super Fling Boogie 2004. This means that all 200,000 of her minions are to seek out clutter in our homes and toss it to the curb or give it away. Blue jeans ten years out of fashion: Gone! Eye shadow containing the germs of seasons long past: Trashed! Unused electronics, read-once books, swiingin' single socks: Purged to the last one.
I expect it will be a long time before I count myself reformed. I'll probably have to stop and start another few times before it really sinks in. But if, every time, I get a little better...
My kitchen is: Improving, day by day. This week we're in the kitchen zone, so I expect it'll be shiny sink to baseboards by the end of the week.
Posted by andrea at January 4, 2004 10:07 PMYou have reminded me that in my closet is a pair of jeans that have ZIPPERS at the bottom of the legs. And also light pinstripes. Sometime last year I wore them because I was painting and figured they were good to trash, but forgot I was wearing them when I ran out to the store. Until a couple of teenagers looked me over and gave me a really funny look. Yeah, I could do some closet cleaning.
I think the packrat syndrom is genetic, though. My grandmother was a horrible packrat. My mother, a bit less so. I actively try to be less of a packrat than both of them, but it's difficult to overcome. The neatness gene has skipped by my family entirely.
Posted by: michelle on January 6, 2004 12:50 AMI recently discovered FlyLady. The ideas presented on the site are mostly common sense, but that seems to be what many people are lacking. I was able to overcome my hoarding with Celexa. During my holiday vacation I emptied my attic. Literally. Years of my life piled into over THIRTY 55 gallon garbage bags, along with other various things too large to be bagged. I have hired a man with a dump truck to help me haul it away; it is That Much Stuff. Do yourself a favor... don't let it go that far.
Posted by: Amber on January 7, 2004 01:35 AMYeah, I suppose a lot of it is common sense. I think I'm mostly a smart cookie, but there are things it just doesn't *occur* to me to do, like deciding what to have for dinner more than an hour in advance so I can thaw out the protein du jour. Or hanging up my towel after I shower. Or running the dishwasher when it's only 80% full before everything crusts onto the dishes.
I think I also have the classic perfectionism FlyLady talks about. I don't have time and energy to go down on my hands and knees to scrub my kitchen floor with a brush like it needs it, so instead I don't do anything at all. FlyLady says I don't *have* to do it right! Doing a sucky job is OK, too! And this is really a big revelation to me. :)
We'll see how well I do this time around, anyhow. :)
Posted by: Andrea Phillips on January 14, 2004 09:36 PM