Something is Better Than Nothing
Pansies on our front porch in April. This represents me getting my act together. For years, the simple act of keeping flowers on the porch felt like too much!
Here in Michigan, spring is fickle. One day she's giving us sunshine and warm temperatures, while the next day it can snow. It always feels like a dramatic change. All of a sudden, we go from what seems like winter to summer and back again. When those warm days hit, I want to do all the things in my home. I find myself fantasizing about a beautiful yard, a perfectly clean home, all projects in motion or finished. In my fantasy, EVERYTHING is just so! Looking back at my journals, it happens to me every spring.
This time of year, I have to stop myself from taking on too many projects or draining our bank account by outsourcing home repairs. I have to remind myself that something is better than nothing. This is where the FlyLady system helps me tremendously.
Last month, I wrote about my KonMari fail. I like the idea of tidying all at once and it's just not realistic for my life. The FlyLady, Marla Cilley, now a 60-something woman whose seen a bit of life, has another approach. The FlyLady system of keeping a home clean and tidy is more Kaizen than KonMari. It's doing something, just a little thing, every day, to keep things moving. And it works for me.
I first discovered The FlyLady, when we moved to a larger home in suburban Boston in the early 2000s. I started making the bed, doing a load of laundry and vacuuming up the dog hair every day. FlyLady would call me BO (Born Organized). Because of that, I never felt the need to fully adapt her systems, as I was organized enough.
Later on, when we moved back to Michigan and expanded our family to include human children, things started to fall apart, just a little. While I was helping others get their homes and offices organized, my own home and office was neglected. It was still more tidy than most and unfinished projects began to shout at me ALL THE TIME.
A couple of years ago, I reintroduced the FlyLady system into my life. At first the changes were hardly noticeable. Yes, the bathrooms and kitchen were consistently cleaner. The nagging projects still whispered (and occasionally shouted) to me. Over time, as the daily habits became a part of who I am and what I do, keeping our home in order just felt easier. The little piles of clutter that inevitably spring up, were getting smaller. I was finally able to begin zone cleaning, or detail cleaning, which I never had time for before. I started feeling more on top of things.
This spring, in particular, just might be the tipping point where it is going to get really easy to keep up with all that is required in running a home, a family, a small business. At least I hope. I am always optimistic. All my little somethings are starting to add up to a super streamlined home and office. It feels good. Most importantly, those unfinished projects are slowly disappearing one by one. It's opening up space, time and peace of mind.
The FlyLady system is based on a series of 31 BabySteps that build upon each other. Each day for the month of May over on Instragram Stories, I will be walking folks through the 31 BabySteps in my home. I would love for you join me.
