One Day at a Time

Recently, I had determined to get my household under control! It just seemed like I had let things gradually get out of control. Everytime I started to declutter and organize, I would get overwhelmed and stop in the middle and not get it finished. I would start on one project and in the middle another project would rear it's ugly head and I would have all these pots in the fire and not enough hose to put them out! I had just embarked in this journey when a challenge came my way! Marcia, the Organising Queen, threw out a decluttering challenge! I took the bait and decided to use this challenge to help me get into the "groove." It got me focused. One item at a time, one "spot" at a time! Then I saw what Marcia decluttered. One purse! Oh my, I was so much farther behind than that! lol But that was ok, because it set the example. Obviously this new friend had gotten to this point to where decluttering was a habit and I could get there too! So, I took before pics of areas in the house that I wanted to do. Some small and some big and a "plan" was hatched. The larger projects for weekends, the smaller for weeknights after work and for when I was/am babysitting the grands. Hence, the household schedule took birth! And the decluttering is still going on, but there became that point of seeing something out of place in my newly cleaned area and picking it up immediately before it "grew" and putting it back into place. This has taken a monkey off my back (and I don't mean my husband!) In this decluttering journey, I have found others who are in the same and different stages of decluttering their life. We have been able, thru the internet to be able to encourage and cheer other on. Bonds of friendships have been made. Our families have seen the difference and caught the spirit!

So I want to encourage YOU. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the clutter in our lives. And we get discouraged and feel like we just are never going to change. And clutter can be different things to all of us. It could be those pesky weeds in the garden bed by the front door, or it could be thoughts or worries cluttering your mind, dust bunnies under the bed, spices in the cabinet, appliances cluttering the kitchen counter, papers piling up in the office space, papers sticking out the file cabinet, recipes in drawers, etc. (Does it sound like I might have some experience here?) Nothing is beyond our reach! Find a system that works for you! Make a list and take it slow. Take baby steps. Don't let the bookshelf in the room call you away from the task at hand. But you can do it and you can succeed. If I can do it, believe me YOU can do it!!

This post is part of a fun blog carnival: Homemaker Monday - Click here to see what others are saying this Monday!