31 Days of FlyLady BabySteps
Sometimes it takes 31 days to see things from a new perspective.
If you have been reading along for awhile now, you know I am a fan of the FlyLady system for organizing and cleaning. Last month, I shared my backstory on how FlyLady Marla Cilley's system has helped me have more peace and control in my daily life.
For the last 31 days I have been walking through the FlyLady BabySteps over on Instagram Stories (currently available in the highlights section on my Instagram profile). This exercise turned out different than I expected. As with most of us when we start something new, the first few days I was eager to share each step. Around day 12 my excitement waned, as I realized that I had cherry picked the FlyLady habits and implemented them in a very different order than the website suggests. The "official" order felt convoluted to me.
Way back in the early 2000s when I discovered the FlyLady, I started with making my bed (day 15 for FlyLady). Only in the last few years have I fully adopted the majority of the BabySteps, including shining the kitchen sink after every meal (okay, almost every meal). The FlyLady starts on Day 1 with her keystone habit of shining the sink. My keystone habit is getting plenty of sleep, which is maybe why I started with making the bed. For years I had poor sleep hygiene and often felt scattered as a result.
Through the practice of sharing on Instagram for 31 days straight, I discovered that I had taken Marla Cilley's program, along with many others, and made them my own. Over the years so many insightful individuals have positively influenced my daily habits. From former corporate managers, to people I may never meet in person, I take what serves me and leave the rest.
This journey for the month of May 2019 has also opened my eyes to where I can further customize the FlyLady System for my own home and lifestyle. For example, I always struggled with the 5 detailed cleaning zones; particularly zone 3: bathroom and an extra room. My "extra room" included the kids' rooms, home office, laundry room, basement and sun room. It is impossible for me to detail clean all these spaces in one week. This month it dawned on me that I could break up my home into my own zones that follow the flow of our living spaces. The 31 days of FlyLady BabySteps helped me look at things from a new perspective.
I would love to know in the comments if you have followed along on Instagram and what you learned from the journey. For everyone reading, what systems have you discovered to help you feel calm and in control? And, do you know what your keystone habit is?
Looking ahead to September 2019, I am planning a special organizing retreat where we can meet in person. Please let me know if you are interested and what you would like to learn or experience.
