This month, I'm doing a series on Tidy Habits. It's for people like me, who struggle to maintain some semblance of order while juggling kids, jobs, community involvement, hair highlights and caffeine addictions. Throw in a disgruntled stressed husband, and tidiness is thrown out the window faster than you can say "Espresso Double Shot."
Yeah, gimme one of those. Quick.
As a former President of the Not-So-Tidy club, I've come to see that I can learn a lot from people who seem to get out of bed fully dressed in pressed linen blouses, skinny pants and adorable ballet shoes. These Tidy People don't mean to annoy those of us who are thrilled if we can find a shirt midway down the clothes hamper that is salvageable with a 5-minute fluff and a dryer sheet. Now, I may never attain the Pressed Linen Blouse level of personal tidiness, but I can appreciate some of the habits that they make look so easy.
I've found that even small changes in my daily habits can yield huge results.
I don't enjoy cleaning - and I don't even really enjoy writing about cleaning. Or thinking about it. It makes me feel tired. But, I want to be available to serve and love my family, and when I'm weighed down with a messy house and the constant feeling of failure, I can't do much of anything good. I want my family to have positive memories of what their home was like, and I want to be free to be hospitable to others. I want to sit on the couch and watch TV without having to shove a pizza box out of the way first. I want to have devotions without being distracted by pet odor.
And so I decided to become Tidy. Or, more accurately, Tidier.
Hence, lessons from Tidy People.
Today's habit is this: Tidy People do a little bit every day.
I like to call it Minimum Maintenance, but you could call it a Quick Blitz, or Daily Pick-Up or whatever you want. The bottom line is, they believe in a fast run-through of the house, picking up as they go. I've actually lived whole entire years on not much more that Minimum Maintenance, that's just how effective it can be. 5 minutes per room. 20 in the kitchen. The End.
Today's Small Thing is to do a quick pick up. That is all.
I'd love for you to read all about Minimum Maintenance, because it is such a sanity saver. But you don't have to go that far. Just set your timer and blitz through the house. You will be STUNNED at how much you can get done in five little minutes!
When the timer goes off, you're done. Move on.
Do you do a little bit every day? Sometimes it seems like it's not enough, but just remember that each day builds on the previous day. In a week's time you'll have spent a couple of painless hours making your home feel good. Making your children feel loved. Your husband feel cherished. Yourself feel like a queen.
This is for YOU. YOU deserve to live in a tidy home. You are beautiful and gifted and wonderful. Allow yourself to enjoy a lovely atmosphere that celebrates the life within it. Just do a little bit, trust God to help you...and see what happens.
I'd love to know about your journey to tidiness. Are you constantly frustrated with your mess? Are you hobbled by clutter? Are you learning new habits that free you from the bondage of too much stuff? I hope you'll share!
Now, after you've rampaged through your home on your pick-up spree, set yourself down for a virtual cup of coffee! It's easy, it's free and it's a simple way to get to other Company Girls around here. No need to have a fancy post - just let us know what is going on in your life by linking a blog post into the linky tool below. If you are not a blogger, why not say hello in the comments? We'd love to know who you are!
PS The winner from Wednesday's comments on Throwing Things Away is Stacy Nickels! Stacy, email me with your address and I'll get your art print to you!
