June Is My January

These pictures have nothing to do with this post, but hey, why not throw them in here anyway? I don't have to be a perfectionist (so says FlyLady)...so not everything has to have a nice, tidy connection! :)

~ one of our growing chicks...it's been so interesting to see how the feathers develop
~ our resilient turtle...who escaped long ago (but was returned by our neighbors who found him lounging around in their garden last fall) and who was suspected to have escaped again but was apparently hibernating the winter away inside his enclosure...the recent rains made him come out of the holes he normally hides in, so I was able to get a picture of him

Now on to what I really want to write about...

When January 1, 2008, rolled around, I was afflicted with a serious case of baby-on-the-brain and could hardly think of anything else. Consequently, I uncharacteristically did not make a long list of resolutions since I knew the upheaval of a new baby in the house would almost certainly demolish whatever plans and goals of which I might be dreaming. It had been a very long time since I had not participated in New Year's resolutions, and it felt a bit strange to me.

Now that June has rolled around, I'm finally having my January! Full of enthusiasm...energy...goals...new projects...joy, etc. For one thing, I'm losing weight--a typical January plan. For another thing, I'm doing much better with general household organization which then rubs off onto virtually every other area of life. I'm having so much fun!

Coming into this month, I knew that this was the ideal time for me to conquer this dragon of lack of order and cleanliness in our home. Tobin at 5 months is SO MUCH EASIER (and far less time-consuming) than at 1 month. Plus, we're not officially homeschooling through the summer so that frees up extra time to devote to household stuff. I feel good physically, I have energy, and I realize that this is a window of opportunity for me to focus on this aspect of home-making before life gets any more complicated...whether through another child or additional forms of outreach and ministry or whatever.

Quite a long time ago, my friend Julie had recommended FlyLady to me, but I procrastinated (of course) and didn't get into it at the time. But I kept the suggestion in the back of my head "for such a time as this," and now I am very happily following FlyLady's plan for home organization. FlyLady is becoming so well known in this house that she's even getting blamed for things: "Well, I didn't fold the laundry because FlyLady hasn't talked about laundry yet!"...or "FlyLady didn't say to clean the bathroom so that's why I haven't done it!" :)

Her system seems to nail on the head the major problems I have encountered as I've tried to keep my home a neat and peaceful haven:

~ perfectionism

~ not ever starting because it's too big a task and I feel overwhelmed

~ getting distracted: one task leads to another and another, and I never finish the first thing I was working on

~ biting off more than I can chew, and leaving remnants of an organizing project strewn around

~ lack of consistency

~ and more...

In one of the things I read from FlyLady, she warns that decluttering and cleaning our homes can get addictive...and is she ever right! The past few afternoons, I've been absolutely relishing my times when the house is quiet in the afternoon so I can work on household stuff. That used to often be the time when I blogged, or read other blogs, or did computer stuff. My blogging may just go downhill because I'm off doing Room Rescues or putting out Hot Spots or doing 27 Fling Boogies! :)