Made-a-Move Monday #5

Like puzzle pieces coming together, my brain made a switch this week.  Little messages have been seeping in and resulted in my making a switch from past habits to now starting to take care of things to completion better – not leaving dishes, papers, etc. in my wake to take care of later.

My tangible move for this week is a decluttered living room that has stayed that way for 3 days!, kitchen and dining room floors washed, dishes washed after dinner meals 4 nights in a row, and… a Shiny Sink!!

I shined my sink today!

Those familiar with The Flylady will understand the full significance of my shiny sink.  In short, “the Flylady” has great advice for getting people to change their disorganized habits, get into healthy routines, learn to love and care for themselves and their homes – all with small steps.  And it all starts with a shiny sink.  For the past several years, I’ve been running around so busily the clutter in my house and brain has grown to suffocating proportions.  My rut was too deep to even think about trying to jump back on to Flylady’s wagon.

So what were the messages that came together this week?

1. I work at a school that follows a Reggio Emilia philosophy and emphasizes the importance of recognizing that children are competent.  Adopting this philosophy is viewed as being on a journey.  Rather than feeling guilty for not doing things perfectly (one of my downfalls) the staff are reminded that we are all on a journey and we are growing with all experiences, including the ones that don’t go as we would have liked.  Everything is positive in this light.  Rather than being paralyzed living in regrets and dealing with things from the past that were left unfinished, I can start fresh and move on with the here and now.
2. Make-a-move.  Do.  Weekly postings of concrete “doings.”
3. “Life is short” – we need to make good use of the time we have (from A Short Guide to a Happy Life, by Anna Quindlen)
4. “Really, I used to be an organized person.“  Rather than just looking at WHY I and my things have become so disorganized (6 kids, house, job, husband, too much stuff, no funds to hire help, overtired …..), I stopped and asked WHAT is stopping me from being organized?  WHAT is stopping me from cleaning my house?  Somehow, asking these questions gave me the reins to take control of my life.
5. Guests were coming (Friday night) – Done with CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome – a Flylady acronym)
6. Listening to the music I loved listening to 25 years ago, when l was as I would like to be – happy, confident, high on life, able to focus, accomplishing, etc.

I’m sure there were other puzzle pieces that helped with my brain switch.  But, I am just happy that things are coming together and am excited to see where my journey is going as I continue to be committed to Make-a-Move.