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Post by SAR01 on Apr 2, 2018 10:41:12 GMT -5
Dear Friends, I know how every one of you think, because I am one of you. I have been there and done that. When you do your stash and dash, all the bags of stuff you gather, end up camping out in your room. Under your bed, stashed in the closet, piled on the dresser and chest of drawers, and piled on your bed. Now listen to me. YOUR BEDROOM IS NOT A GRAVEYARD FOR STUFF THAT HAS NO HOME! if you don't stop this it is going to be your grave. This is the room that is the of your family and your marriage. It should give you joy when you walk in there and fill your with peace. It is where your babies were conceived and you love your husband. If you are single, it is where you snuggle in for the evening with a good book to fall asleep. This is the room that you wake up in and go to sleep in. It is imperative that this room be the cleanest in the house. From this moment on, you are not allowed to pile stuff in this room. Do not fold clothes in this room. (we all know what happens there. We fold them but never put them away)! I have counseled many women about this room. I have found over the years that when this room gets clean the rest of the house falls right into place. It becomes a haven from the chaos in the home; Your hiding place. I have also found, that when this room is clean. I mean no clutter piled up, that most women rest better and have more energy. I also feel that when we are sick, this room can promote healing or keep us sick. When all that clutter is everywhere, it is so hard to feel peace. Clutter puts guilt on our heads, we beat ourselves up about it, and we make ourselves sick with the stress it puts on our system. Get rid of the clutter and you will see the veil of stress and I believe sickness will leave your body. Guilt is a terrible shadow to live under. I have a challenge for you. If you have a desk in your bedroom, I want you to find a new home for it. We know what our desks look like, stuff piled to the ceiling, stuff that needs to be done and is calling to us. I am not telling you to do this right this instant. I want you to think about this for a while and come up with a plan. This week we are going to focus on making your bedroom a haven. Are you ready to FLY with a beautiful room to rest your precious head each night? FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 3, 2018 10:09:37 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
We can get so stuck in a rut when our homes are in bad shape. The best remodel of all is to get rid of the clutter and start to really see your home.
Did you know that when I got my home in order with all the clutter gone that I started to love it? I mean I really liked my home even with the 70's green shag carpet. It is amazing what you can see when your eyes aren't glued to the clutter everywhere.
When clutter is on every surface you can't feel comfortable in the space. We need clear areas to feel peace. Clutter causes us to have that closed in feeling and we have to get out of our homes to feel better. Wouldn't you like to enjoy being home? Get rid of your clutter and you will find that you don't have to move to find the perfect house; you are already living in it.
I know you don't believe me, but the cheapest way to remodel your home to eliminate the clutter so you can actually see what needs to be done to spruce up your living areas. A little paint or soap and water can drastically change your outlook. With the clutter gone you can see and enjoy the forest without all the trees getting in your way. We have had FlyBabies who no longer needed to move, because all of a sudden their home got bigger without wall-to-wall clutter taking up every corner and flat surface in their home. We even have gotten an email about clearing off the magnets and paper clutter from the refrigerator. That one clutter clearing exercise made their kitchen feel larger.
Look around your home and see if you can open up some space by cleaning out a hotspot.
Some of you have complained that you don't want to clean when you have such yucky furniture. Well decorators like to call this eclectic. We have seen those TV decorators take out half the furniture and add a pillow or two and change a whole room. Did you know that you can do this too, but not until the clutter has left the building. Less is more!
We get to feeling sorry for ourselves because we can't afford this or that, when all we really need is to be happy with what we have and clean it up a bit. Don't get stuck in a rut of "ole poor me"! Count your blessings by blessing your home with a little TLC: Tender Loving Care. You have neglected it for long enough, just like you have neglected yourself.
Each day we continue to do the same things over again; washing clothes, doing dishes, folding clothes, dusting and sweeping floors. It is a never-ending procession of things that need done. When you look at these chores as work, you start to dread doing them. Change your attitude from work to blessing. When you do things for your family and to your home to help your family, you are giving them tender loving care. I like to call this blessing our home. As you pick up a dish to wash it, be thankful that you have had food to feed your growing babies and nourish your bodies. As you fold that unending pile of laundry, your hand loves each and every member of your family. Let go of the martyred attitude and nurture your family with love and kindness. Now I am not saying that you are to do all the work. It is up to you to set the example in love and they will follow. It is all about your attitude toward your home, family, and your life.
I want you to FLY. It is hard to do if you are stuck in the muck of a pity party about the way your home looks and ultimately feels. You can change this by letting go of your victim way of thinking and put a new happy spin on your life. Blessing your home is much more fun than cleaning house!
Release Your Clutter and find your new home with the cheapest remodel of all!
FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 4, 2018 9:43:24 GMT -5
You may need to see immediate results in order to establish your routines. In other words. If you have a clean room to start with, you will be able to keep it that way. Be warned, I don't particularly like this method, but it has worked for some of us. Let me explain. The reason I don't like it, because I am afraid you will burn out. In 1999 for Thanksgiving, our family was coming to our home. Now I had been establishing my routines all year long, but I still had a couple of major HOT SPOTS, My extra bedroom/craft room. I hired a born Organized Friend to come and help me organize my craft closet. She and I worked all day on this one room. Then we did a swift vacuum and dust of the rest of the house and we were ready for company. This was Monday before Thanksgiving. The next week after Thanksgiving, I asked my Born Organized Clerk to my board of County Commissioners, how she kept her home clean. She told me it was very simple(yes simple for a BO person, but for a SHE it is much tougher) PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF, IF YOU GET IT OUT, PUT IT AWAY. IF YOU MESS IS UP, CLEAN IT UP RIGHT THEN, AND THIS WILL KEEP YOU FROM HAVE A MESS PILE UP. The funny thing is, the week before I had been doing just that, so I could keep the house clean for company. I had purposefully picked up after myself and the house was gleaming as a result. So if you are having trouble establishing routines, then try a Crisis Cleaning day with a friend. Pretend that company is coming or better yet, plan a party so you will have to do it. It is amazing what you can do in a crisis and if you have to manufacture one then it is no less amazing. Get the majority of the work done. Declutter as much as possible and put things away in their own spot. You may need someone to help you decide on those spots for you. I always do better when the place is already established. I will put it back, but picking the spot was paralyzing to me. Get some help. DH or a Friend, whoever, but just do it. You may only be able to do one room a day. Go for it, once a week or do it in a few days. You will be so happy that you did. This might just be the key you are looking for. If the less stressed way has not been working, then go for the marathon cleaning day. Once you have a couple of areas the way you want it, then you will have more energy to keep it maintained with your routines. Just because it is clean, does not mean you can sit and do nothing. That is how it got trashed in the first place. Write down your routine now before you do your Crisis Cleaning so that you will know what to do the next day. Your routine should consist of: 1. RISE AND SHINE Make your bed as soon as you get out of it, unless DH is still there. Go to the bathroom Shower and clean the bathroom while you are there Fix your hair and face Swish and swipe the bathroom. Its clean and ready for anything. Leave your bedroom with a load of laundry in hand; put it in the washer. 2. KITCHEN If you did your before bed routine it is clean; just empty dishwasher Make coffee and start breakfast Feed the critters Feed family 3. THINK ABOUT YOUR DAY Check your calendar Make your To Do List Thaw something for dinner Checkbook (bring down your balance) Reboot the laundry (put in dryer) Hit the hotspots. If you did your before bed routine there will not be any. 4. NOW THINK ABOUT YOURSELF Take your vitamins and medications Sit down Eat breakfast Morning Meditation (GIFT) God, Imagination, Focus, Thanksgiving Now reward yourself with some computer/phone time. Check your e-mail. It is time to FLY, Silver rag sale image FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 5, 2018 10:45:17 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
We are all looking for the recipe that will change our home. I have a simple recipe for you! We all start each day will a whole pie to call our own. During the day we make the choices that give away our pieces of Peace Pie. This is a special pie that nourishes you as well as feeds your soul. I am going to give you the recipe for this pie!
It starts with the desire to have a "Peace" of Pie! This peace has to come from a whole pie. So here goes with my recipe for this delightful pie.
Every pie I have ever made has a crust. This pie has a top crust and a bottom crust! This crust is made from the finest ingredients for a great foundation. These are the habits you put together to make up your routines. We start this pie the night before we want it with our before bed routine. This is the bottom crust that holds up our pie of Peace together.
It only takes a few minutes to make this crust.
Lay out your clothes for tomorrow Check your calendar Shine your sink and clean up after dinner Clear off a hot spot Put things in your launch pad so you won't forget them Brush your teeth Wash your face Go to bed at a decent hour and sleep.
This crust is a pleasure to make when you think about the joy that it is going to give you tomorrow morning when you put together the rest of this glorious pie of Peace. That alone is a great incentive. There is nothing like the taste of Peace Pie!
The top crust we will put together when we first get up in the morning. It starts with getting up a few minutes before the flow of the rest of the family. This enables you to get dressed in peace. Do you see how you can have your pie and eat it too? The pie isn't even made yet but you are beginning to feel the taste on your tongue. The rest of your morning routine of checking your calendar, putting on your shoes, seeing what's for dinner on your calendar, making your bed, eating breakfast and starting a load of laundry help to make this top crust fit with the bottom crust.
Now we have to put together the most luscious filling for this pie of Peace. This filling is made of our basic weekly plan and having the ingredients readily available each day we start our pie. A weekly home blessing, staying on top of Mount Washmore, planning our meals, grocery shopping, getting rid of our clutter 15 minutes at a time and taking time for you are the ingredients that make this pie melt in our mouths. Without them is the crust is very hard to put together.
Think about this. You can't lay out your clothes if you have no clean laundry. You can't pull out something for dinner in the morning if there is no plan and you have not gone shopping. This filling makes this pie of Peace tasty.
Your habits put this pie of peace together every day. Your lack of effective habits makes it impossible to sit down and enjoy this pie. You have a choice build your pie and enjoy it or to give away the ingredients.
Once your pie is made then you have the ability to share this peace with others and not feel deprived. This pie is dusted with granulated sugar that is your attitude of love for you. You no longer feel that someone is stealing your pie when your buttons get pushed by family or a simple mistake. You find yourself enjoying the day instead of dreading what's next. This pie of Peace becomes the nourishment for your body and soul. It blesses all around us and you made it with your own two hands!
Can you taste this Pie of Peace?
FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 8, 2018 11:33:14 GMT -5
We all make mistakes! This is a fact of living. So why do we beat ourselves up when we have made a bad choice. I think it is because deep down inside we are doing what has been done to us, all of our lives; punishing ourselves. This has got to stop. Instead of admitting that we have made a bad choice we keep trying to make that decision work. Maybe we should take a lesson from business and cut our losses and move on. Instead we keep trying to fix things to make them better. Clutter is clutter no matter what form it takes. You can't organize clutter; you can only get rid of it! I want your home to be filled with things that make you smile. Our lives are too short to continually deal with that pink elephant in the living room. One time a dear friend was moving from a home, where she had lived twenty-seven years. It was hard for her to let go of things. Eventually she came up with a plan. If she had any doubt about whether something should be packed; she would set it in the main path to the truck. On the first day she would gingerly walk around the item. The next day she pushed it aside, and if on the third day she kicked it; it when to the curb. This showed her that she really didn't love it as much as she had originally thought she had. We can decorate that pink elephant but it is still a pink elephant. It is sucking the life right out of you. You spend your whole day, doing your best to make it fit. God knows we don't want to admit that we made the mistake of bringing that pink elephant home in the first place; that we wasted money, and worst of all our time. We just keep plodding along; hoping that the pink elephant will not get and become the bull in the china shop. The sad part is that it already has. Just being in your living room it is destroying the most important thing in your home and that is you! Many years ago I had a diseased gallbladder. I was sick all the time. This gallbladder was toxic to me. Once it was removed, I was able to get on with my life. Relationships can be like this too. We have all had people in our lives who suck the life right out of us. You may be with someone right now who is toxic to you. You may have a friend that uses you to make themselves feel superior. You may be struggling with an abuse situation that you hope and will get better. They don't get better. They get worse. This abuse can mean a lot of things: physical, emotional, sexual, drug, alcohol and financial. It is time to cut your losses and strap on your wings to FLY; Finally Loving Yourself. For when you are FLYing, you realize when something is clutter in your life. As nurturers we really do want to help everyone but in the end, we can only help ourselves. This is not a selfish attitude. It is all about self-preservation. This type of clutter is going to destroy your spirit. Accept that you made a mistake! Forgive yourself and cut your losses by decluttering. In business if you lose a nickel on everything you sell and you sell a million of them; you are losing a million nickels. Stop the blood-letting! It is time to FLY by Decluttering! Please be kind to yourself! FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 9, 2018 13:47:07 GMT -5
Dear Friends, We have looked hard at our procrastinating personalities and why we are so good at putting things off till later. The main reason that we don't do something right now is because we think that it is going to take too much time and right now we don't have time or we don't feel like doing it now. I want to look at how this kind of thinking actually creates an avalanche effect and before we know it we are suffocating under a heavy load of guilt and we are paralyzed by our in-actions. For the most part we are a very social happy-go-lucky spontaneous vivacious group of people. We love to have fun at anything we do. When it comes to housework or other things that we may need to get done; we can come up with every excuse in the world to not do it. The main excuse we use is "I don't have time!" When the truth is we really don't want to do it because it is not going to be fun or we don't feel like it. We don't like to do things that are the mundane boring aspects of living. That is one of the reasons that our FlyLady routines get those things out of the way so we can get on with the enjoyable part of our day. People ask me all the time if I spend all day cleaning. The truth is that as long as I do my simple routine (15 minutes) in the morning and a routine at night (10 minutes tops); our house is always company ready. This will work for any size home; now I do have to pick up after myself and keep my hotspots policed. This only takes a couple of minutes at the most. Here is what happens when we put something off. Let's start with our before bed routines. 1. We go to bed at 1:00 or 2:00 am and have to get up at 7:00 am. We procrastinated by not going to bed at a decent hour. Then we can't get up on time. 2. After you hit the snooze button a few times and it is 7:30 am and to get to work on time we have to leave at 7:45 am. Now you have 15 minutes to get dressed and out the door and you have no clean clothes. 3. Not only did you go to bed late, but you did not lay out your clothes for tomorrow. So there again you have procrastinated and you are rushing around. 4. Now you are feeling the time crunch and the pressure of being late to work or an appointment again. Then the guilt starts to pile on. 5. With the guilt comes blaming others and not looking at what our role was in our perpetual tardiness. Then we have martyrdom and the loud yelling voices that just add to the stress along with the guilt. 6. Now we are half dressed, jumping in a car trying to put on makeup while driving and not paying attention to what we are doing. Not to mention that you have skipped breakfast and there is not even time for a quick drive through the golden arches. Well that could be the only positive thing about rushing; not time for negative nutrition with fast food. 7. Next thing we know the blue lights are flashing in our rear view mirror and we have yet another speeding ticket to have to explain and pay for. 8. That is if we are lucky and we haven't had a car accident with our babies in the car. 9. More money wasted all because we procrastinated and didn't go to bed in a decent hour to get up and start our day on the right foot instead of behind the eight ball. Just writing this makes me nauseated. I can't live this way anymore. The constant surge of adrenalin is hard on our bodies. We have to find a way to relieve the stress that our procrastination causes in our lives. Are you listening to me! Procrastination can kill us and maims our children. It can be a slow painful death of our bodies turning on us because of the constant surge of adrenalin with immune dysfunction or it can be a quick one with a car accident. You have a choice to stop this right now! If I can ever get you to feel the peace that comes from just a few simple routines in your life; you will never go back to living this way. Here is what you have to do! 1. Set your priorities! I know you hear this all the time, so I am going to make this very clear to you! Is talking on the phone or the computer more important than your children's or your life? Is watching that movie better for you than a good nights sleep? 2. Lay out your clothes for tomorrow; Use your creativity to accessorize your clothes. We love to do this but we never have time when we are so rushed. Look at your calendar and see what you need to do tomorrow. This will help you to pick out your clothes. 3. Go to bed at a decent hour; we can have time for ourselves in the morning when we are not rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. 4. Put the alarm clock on the other side of the room so you will not be tempted to hit the snooze button. This is an ineffective habit that you have. When you start getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night you will not need that snooze button any more. You need to get your feet on the floor to turn off the alarm. 5. Put gas in your car when it is not empty. Look for times when you are not in a hurry to stop and fill up before you are running on fumes. This will not cost you as much money if you are only putting in a half of tank. You never know when you may need gas to get you to the emergency room in the middle of the night. 6. As part of your before bed routine; put everything you need to take with you tomorrow by the front door or in the car. This will keep you from having to search for things tomorrow morning and from forgetting that important paper you have to present. 7. Start your day without the chaos of the television by listening to beautiful music. The television is filled with bad news that we can do nothing about. Open up your to a new morning with your favorite music or silence. 8. Get up 15 minutes before the rest of the family so that you can be dressed to lace up shoes before their little feet hit the floor. You will be in control! Put on those shoes whether or not you have to wear heels to work. You can change just before you walk out the door because you would have put them by the front door. All this is done because you laid out your whole outfit the night before; from jewelry to shoes and hose. You checked your calendar and you know what to wear. 9. Without all the rushing you can sit down and eat a breakfast fit for the queen that you are! It may just be a yogurt smoothie but you will be filling up your personal fuel tank with good nutritious food not junk on the run. You may also have fewer digestion problems when you slow down your food consumption. 10. Now you are in your car and not rushing to get to work because you factored in your drive time into your morning routine. You have even added a few extra minutes for traffic and you may surprise everyone by being at work early or getting the kids to school without having to write a late note. This will mean no speeding ticket and some extra money in your pocket because your insurance has not gone up because of the points on your drivers license. Every single thing we procrastinate about can be put into this avalanche scenario. Just stop and think when you hear yourself saying I don't have time or I don't feel like it right now. We are never going to feel like scrubbing the toilet but it sure is nice when you are hugging that piece porcelain during a round of stomach flu. We don't have to feel like doing it to just get up off our Frannys and do something! With this attitude, we are getting it out of the way so we can go play and enjoy our day without the stress and guilt that comes from procrastinating. If you will just start with one little piece of this essay; you will be slowing down the effects of the avalanche. Soon you will begin to feel the peace that I have from my morning and before bed routines. If you will just get a small taste of this peace you will not want to live in the chaos of procrastination another day. Are you ready to FLY by doing the little things in life that make living easier; routines? FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 10, 2018 12:38:19 GMT -5
Dear Friends, Do you ever feel that you are behind the eight ball when it comes to going into the kitchen to cook? Is your sink filled with dirty dishes and mystery water? Had you just rather pile everyone in the car and go out to dinner than face that mountain of dirty dishes? You may be suffering from Kitchen Sink Procrastination. As I think about it; your shiny sink may just be the most important decision you ever make for your future! If a sink full of dirty dishes will cause you to spend money eating out when you have food in the house then a shiny sink might actually help you release some debt. Shiny sinks in the morning help you start your day with a sense of peace! You can make breakfast, fix lunches and brew coffee without feeling behind. Not only do you feel peace but look at the money you have saved by this one simple act of doing the dishes and wiping your sink dry till it shines. When I got organized I started with shining my sink. I picked this one habit out of all the others because my husband asked me to keep one side of the sink open so he could get a drink of water and make coffee. I had no idea what an impact it would have on our home or the world. The sink is a tool in the center of your kitchen. When that tool is ready to be used at a moment's notice, we don't feel behind. We are not overwhelmed by having to do yesterday's dishes in order to put dinner on the table. My first habit was just to keep my sink clean and shiny. If you notice I didn't pile on! I was not REQUIRED to do anything else. BUT when a sink is that pretty; you wouldn't dare put a dirty dish in it. That is when that shine started to work it's magic around my kitchen. My dishwasher got emptied as soon as it finished because I needed a dirty dish disposal unit. Counter tops were cleared and the stove seemed to be begging to be shined too! After all everything in the kitchen was enjoying the shine of my sink. When your kitchen is clean then the rest of the house follows its lead. Before you know it that little shiny sink habit has your house looking pretty good! And all you were required to do was keep your sink clean and shiny! Here are some tips for not getting overwhelmed in the kitchen especially for big family gatherings: 1. Put out a fresh dish towel and dish rag every evening after you shine your sink. 2. Whenever you go into the kitchen to cook; start with a sink full of hot soapy water. 3. Prepare one item at a time and do not multi-task. That is how things get burned. 4. As you get something out of the refrigerator then put it back. 5. Throw away trash immediately. 6. As you dirty up a dish place it into the hot soapy water. 7. After food has been put together and ready to cook; clean up all the dirty dishes 8. Then put all the dishes away. 9. Wipe down all the counters. 10. Drain dish water and shine your sink! 11. Sit down and rest with a cup of before you start a new project. That shiny sink is going to give you patience too. When your children want to help you make cookies you will be excited about teaching them. This is such a blessing to you and to them. They will be learning skills that will prepare them for their future. You will be passing down your traditions. I learned to shine my sink from my grandmother. Are your ready to FLY!
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 12, 2018 10:09:23 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
I have been trying to figure out for years why we FlyBabies don't think it is necessary to make our beds.
Let's just list them.
1. I don't have time in the morning! 2. I am just going to mess it back up again tonight. 3. No one is going to see it but me. 4. Why bother; no one notices anyway. 5. I can't make it up while someone else is still in it. 6. He was in it last shouldn't he make it up! 7. My bed needs to air out first. 8. Our bedroom is not on the tour of homes. (Robert's excuse LOL) 9. Where is the cat going to sleep if we pull the bedspread up? 10. Our bed is too hard to make up. 11. It's my bed and I don't have to make it if I don't want to.
We can come up with every excuse in the world to no make our beds. I think it all comes from a secret rebellion to get back at our mothers. No one can force you to make your bed today. This is your house and your bed. My goal is to motivate you to do it for yourself. You deserve to feel good about your home and to have your bedroom become your sanctuary and not a dumping ground.
Start today! Make your bed and feel that smile come over your face when you walk into your bedroom! Your bed is the shiny sink of your bedroom! When the bed is made the whole room looks and feels comforting.
Are you ready to FLY with your bed smiling at you! You can start today!
FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 13, 2018 17:58:06 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
This morning I started to think about how this is our perfectionism creeping in once again. We don't seem to be able to do anything, until we get all of our ducks in a row. As my son's paternal Grandmother used to say. "You milk your ducks and I'll milk mine". That was her way of telling us to mind our own business. She was so right. I don't know what this has to do with anything, but I loved her and she taught me a lot.
Our ducks tend to run into other people's yards. Until we are able to take care of our ducks, we should not even try to tend to others. Have you ever watched a mother duck with her babies in a row behind her? They follow directly behind her. She is setting the example and she keeps them close to her. She cannot force her family to follow her; if she tried to line them all up it would be a big mass of confusion. As it is, she sets the pace and they toddle right behind her.
I know how you think. With our ability to hyper-focus and our perfection thrown in to boot, we have a tendency to want everything perfect before we even start. How about that control journal of yours? You want it absolutely perfect before you begin to even think about establishing your routines. This is another excuse for not getting started. Do you hear me on this one? If the control journal is not perfect in your eyes, then you have already failed. Well I am here to tell you, you are wrong. The control journal is just a notebook to hold your routines. Now listen closely to me. Routines can be established by using post-it notes or simple lists put in a notebook. We are not a publishing a book. It is a tool to guide you through your day; it holds your routines, important phone numbers, grocery list and menus. This is such a simple tool, but it doesn't have to be completely finished before you start to use it. Your baby steps will help you establish your routines one item at a time. You can do this, but don't obsess about it. So if you have said to yourself, "I'll establish my routines, but first I have to get my control journal made: then you are deceiving yourself once again. It is not the control journal that establishes your routines; it is you. You do the work; you focus on the problem and tackle it with your eyes wide open. Here is the order that your ducks should be in. You cannot force them, you just start the process and it will all fall into place behind you.
Shine your sink Get dressed to shoes, fix your hair and face. Lay out your clothes for tomorrow De-clutter 15 minutes a day After you have established this small morning and before bed routine, you can begin to add more things. It is not that you even have to think about adding them, it is a natural progression. As you get good at something, you don't have to think about it any longer. You will also be having more time to accomplished things and you will be looking for ways to fill this precious time. I know you don't believe me, but it will happen if you will let and and not think about it too much. Let the system guide you. Babysteps!!!!
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 14, 2018 10:58:38 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
Procrastination has been a way of life for most of us. When we think a job is going to take longer than we have time for then we put it off. That is our perfectionism. We have been taught since the day we were born that if we can't do something right don't do it at all! We listened! We may not have heard much else that was said but that stuck in our minds.
Coupled with the pain of having to redo things over and over again when they were not up to the perfectionist standards; we just gave up before we ever got started. A lot of times we don't know where to start. This is the perfectionism monster again. The perfect place to begin! When we can let go of perfectionism; we can stop going down the path of procrastination.
I give you a place! Go shine your sink. It is a simple action that starts you in a direction toward peace. This is our very first habit! Keeping your sink clean and shiny is all you have to do. That shiny sink puts a smile on your face each morning. It is the only thing you have to do. With this one habit you are being kind to yourself. You are not piling on with a huge list.
As this one habit becomes automatic you can add another habit. Slow and steady relieves the guilt. This is being patient with yourself. You don't have to be perfect! You just have to do something instead of wring your hands and say I don't have time. When you hear those words come out of your mouth, set your timer and do two minutes. You will be so surprised at what you can accomplish in those short two minutes. Don't allow your perfectionism to push you too hard or keep you from starting.
We have all heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare procrastinated. He played and put things off because he felt like he had plenty of time to beat that slow tortoise. In the end he lost the race. Just imagine his stress level when he looked around and saw the tortoise winning. All of a sudden he got in a hurry! What happens when you get in a hurry!
Procrastination places guilt on our heads. We don't do well when well with this guilt and the stress that comes from waiting till the last minute. This stress is pushing our adrenaline buttons to put us into overdrive. So instead of taking your time and doing what you can, when you can; you are speeding down the highway to a head on collision!
Your adrenaline super fuel is what causes you to crash and burn! That "flash in the pan" burns out your engine and disables your thinking ability. You become the victim of your own procrastination. Please stop procrastinating! If you will only take BabySteps your journey will be slow and steady. Your home did not get dirty in a day and it will not get clean overnight! BabySteps will help you find the peace you are searching for.
Progress not Perfection!
FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 14, 2018 18:48:42 GMT -5
Zone 3: Mission #1 Monday Dear Friends: We have moved through the zones and we have arrived in the bathroom and an extra room! Your mission for today is to do a 27 fling boogie in the bathroom! Get rid of those shampoos, conditioners, hair gels, etc., that you have held onto but you don't use them! Toss them! Set your timer for 15 minutes and grab a trash bag and start flinging! You might even be able to get in a second 27 fling in under 15 minutes! For the extra Room this month, let's get in to the guest bedroom. We will continue with the 27 Fling Boogie in this room. So, set you timer for 15 minutes and start flinging! FlyLady Rebecca Zone 3: Mission #2 Tuesday Dear Friends: Today we are going to shine our tubs or showers! We have talked about shinning our sinks since you started and we want you take 5 or 10 minutes to shine that tub or shower. Do not get obsessed with the tub being perfect. You can do this mission while you are in the shower, just scrub the tub with whatever works. Anything is better than nothing, then spritz it with a little windex and dry it with a towel like you shine your sink. On to the guest bedroom! Today we are going to tackle the bed and get it company ready. If you need to tackle this 15 or 10 minutes at a time that is fine, don't burn out. Now, if the bed is already clean ask yourself "how long has it been since the sheets have been washed?" We are coming into the holidays soon, and I am so excited. Let's rid ourselves of the stress of having to rush, and have this bedroom ready for your loved ones. Babysteps, set your timer for 15 minutes! FlyLady Rebecca Zone 3: Mission #3 Wednesday Dear Friends: Bathroom Mission: Today you are to wash your bathroom rugs, shower curtains and accessories. This will take longer than 15 minutes and for those of you that are working outside the home you may have to schedule this. In total, to take the rugs to the machine and bring them back to the bathroom is less than 15 minutes but the wait time for the washing machine and dryer will take up some time. If you have not rebooted your laundry this is a good time to do that! For the guest bedroom, Get your feather duster and get the cobwebs out of the corners. I have a bad habit to not step foot in our guest bedroom for a few days, and when I do it is only for a second. I am sure this is a cringe worthy mission, however it has to be done. You CAN do this, YOU have the power to be brave. FlyLady Rebecca Zone 3: Mission #4 Thursday Dear Friends: For the bathroom today, take 10 minutes to toss old cosmetics and perfumes. If you have these items that you have not used for over a year but they are still hanging around, it is time to dump them. If you have not worn anything in the past year then toss it. Most cosmetics have a limited shelf life and are harboring grounds for bacteria. This also applies to lotions and moisturizers. I understand for some of you who are new to FlyLady there is a lot of hard work to be done. So, today we are going to do an extra 27 Fling Boogie like we did on Monday. For those of you who are FLYing and just need some maintenance in this room your mission is to sweep or vacuum this room. One little thing that helps me is to put on some uplifting music while I do these missions! FlyLady Rebecca Zone 3: Mission #5 Friday Dear Friends, Today let's grab some general purpose cleaner and shine those counter tops and bathroom sinks! Clear everything off the counter top and wipe them from side to side and top to bottom. Then use a little elbow grease and scrub your sink, then spritz the counter top and sink with a little windex to make it shine. This is the last day we have in the guest bedroom. We have worked hard this week, and I am proud of you! Today set your timer and relax. For 15 minutes sit down and have a cup of or coffee (don't forget to drink your water). Take time to be still and take care of you. FlyLady Rebecca
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 15, 2018 14:36:34 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
What is it about our life that keeps us complaining about our lack of time! All we ever hear coming out of our mouths is "I don't have time!" The trouble with these words is we all have the same amount of time as everyone else has in a day. It is how we choose to use it that keeps us overwhelmed and whining that we don't have enough time!
We over schedule everyone in our family and as a result you are the one who is responsible for the transportation or at least making sure everyone is where they need to be. Then factor in your work schedule and all of sudden you start to feel and hear those words creep out of your mouth!
Procrastination is a not a thief of time it is you! You are responsible for the overwhelmed feeling that has become part of you. You have been living off of a steady supply of adrenaline and your body has been paying the price; not to mention your home. It is time that we stopped this vicious cycle and gained control over our schedules.
We are not super human people! We need our rest! When we begin to feel the push of not enough time we compensate by staying up later to make more time! When are we ever going to learn that we cannot manufacture more time! This only robs us of the precious rest we need to get us through our already hectic days but it makes us grumpy to boot. So we are running around on no sleep with the pressure of our jobs, homes and varied appointments pulling at us ever second of the day.
There is a way to get off this frantic merry-go-round! It involves looking closely at your attitude. When you hear the words "I don't have time" come out of your mouth; I want you to stop right then and there and change those words to I do have two minutes. Set a timer and do what you can right then and there. I know you are saying; BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME! Yes you do and it is time that you found out just how much time you really do have. If you would take all of your "I don't have time" moments of whining and use them to your advantage then you would be so surprised at what time you really do have.
Have you ever done a simple exercise of taking a week and dividing it into seven days with twenty-four hours in each day? This is an informative way to looking at your schedule. Now don't say, "I don't have time!" Take a piece of lined paper and make 7 columns. Use the lines for the hours in the day. Now color in your sleep time in red; make sure you get at least seven to eight hours each day. Next pick a color to block in your work time. Then look at your calendar and block in family time, dinner time, morning routine time and before bed routine time. Now look at all the left over blank spaces. You can see just how much time you really do have in living color!
Now you have to figure out what is making you feel like you don't have time! Is it your home that is pulling at you? Is the clutter robbing you of precious hours? Or is it your computer that is stealing you away from your home and family. It could be the television. You have to decide where those other hours are being spent!
The words "I don't have time" are just another way to whine about the pickle we have put ourselves in. Start by looking realistically at what you can do right now and don't allow yourself to get stuck in the "I don't have time" rut of life. Life is passing you by because you refuse to look at what you do have time for! Establish a simple routine for getting up in the morning and one for going to bed each night. This will help you operate on automatic pilot! You can do this and you will be so surprised each day at how your home will not be yelling at you that you don't have time.
Those words "I don't have time" are keeping you from even finding out what your purpose for living really is. You do have time!
FlyLady
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 16, 2018 9:51:03 GMT -5
Premium Feather Duster Image Morning Musing Dear Friends, I am hearing some bad things from you. " I don't have time to take care of MYSELF!" My children just started football, soccer, , etc. My job just started. or I have family in the hospital. NOW HEAR THIS!!! IF YOU DO NOT TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, YOU WILL BE FORCED INTO DOING THIS THE HARD WAY! YOU WILL GET SICK. You all have had this happen. Every thing piles up on you and you don't know where you are going to get another minute in your day and then all of a sudden you are coming down with something. A stomach virus, a cold, flu some kind of sickness and you are in the bed. This is our body saying, "SLOW DOWN!" If we don't take care of ourselves, God will do it for us. We push ourselves to the limit, by not going to bed at a decent hour, not eating right and scheduling too much to do. Know your limits, as much as you want to be Super Woman, you are only human. Even in the worst of times, with sick children and family, we can still find a quiet place to just BE! Sit still and Be Calm. This is help. In the work place, OSHA requires employers to give all employees a break in the morning and afternoon. Are you taking your BREAKS!??? Every day I want you to regroup at 10:00am and at 2:00pm. I have to give you a specific time or you will not schedule it into your day. When you see the clock strick 10am, this is your clue to slow down and breathe. Get a cup of something you love and sit quietly. Read, or listen to music. Do not argue with me on this, if you can not do it at these times, then let these times remind you that you will be taking a break within the hour. 10 minutes is not going to kill you, but it could make your day run smoother. Today I had lunch with a friend of mine. We were talking about old friends. Art Rowe retired many years ago from U.S. Forest Service. Our conversation made me remember a story he told me this at a conference I attended. Have you heard the story about the young man that wanted to prove to the Timber boss that he was strong enough to be part of his crew. The boss gave him an axe and sent him to the woods. He cut 8 trees! The next day he went back and he only cut 6 trees, even though he went out early and came in late. The third day, He only cut 4 trees and he had worked harder than ever. The boss just shook his head. Then he told him that the secret was to rest every hour and while you sit, sharpen your axe. The young man never forget the lesson. Sit and Sharpen your AX. Your chores will wait. You will be stronger and more able to stay on task. Catch you Later, FlyLady Set your timer for 10 minutes and take a little break to sharpen your axe. There are lots of things we can do while we sit and take a break. Make a list of things that are fun and things that are productive. 1. Check Facebook 2. Make a list 3. Read a book 4. Check email 5. Write a thank you note 6. Fold clothes 7. Read a magazine 8. Write a testimonial
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 17, 2018 9:42:06 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
Why do we have such a hard time getting dressed to lace-up shoes? I haven't been working for you very long, but this habit and this babystep are the HARDEST for them from what I've observed.
FlyBaby N
Dear Friends,
I was on Facebook one afternoon when a Flybaby asked me this question. I told her that I thought it was because for half of our FlyBabies, they don't feel like there is any need to get dressed because they are not going any place and the only people who will see them are their children.
Then I asked her, "What do you think the answer is?"
She said, "Well, I think it's our inner brat. It seems like everything really is kind of difficult, but we see results right away, being told to put our shoes on doesn't show quite the 'super fast' result. It takes about a week to realize the benefits, I think, it did me, so our inner brat is like, hey I can do all the other stuff why do I need shoes!
So let me hold onto one thing I am in control of. Shoes EMPOWER US! They did me!" I agree with her. We rebel because we don't like being told what do to. This being said, we didn't force anyone to join our group. We show you what has worked for us and hundreds of thousands of others. If you are rebelling lacing up your shoes then take the challenge to try it for one week. Wearing shoes is about being kind to you and your feet!
As for those of you who refuse to wear shoes in your home and require everyone to remove their shoes when they come into your home, I want you to get or clean-up a pair of shoes that you just wear in your home. Do not go outside with them. They are just to wear inside.
Shoes tell our head it is time to do something. They keep us from making excuses. We tell you to tie your shoes to your feet so you won't lose them.
Getting dressed to Lace-up shoes is going to change your life! Just step out in faith for once in your life; you may be pleasantly surprised! Your feet are going to become soft and beautiful. You will not believe the difference wearing your shoes is going to make.
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Post by SAR01 on Apr 17, 2018 11:40:52 GMT -5
Dear Friends,
This week we are focusing on you taking care of yourself. Since starting FlyLady, I have continually harped on putting your shoes on your feet each morning. I want you to do this and you are not the exception to the rule.
Here is why. Several years ago I sold, Mary Kay Skin Care Products. One main rule for that company was that you could not make a single phone call in the morning unless you were totally dressed, and I mean really dressed! All the way to dress shoes. The reason behind this duty, was that you act different when you have clothes and shoes on. You are more professional. The customer can tell when you don't feel good about the way you look; even when you think you do. So if getting dressed makes that big of an impression on someone who can't even see you, then what is going to happen to those that can see you; mainly yourself.
Putting shoes on your feet that lace up are better than slip-ons or sandals, because they are harder to take off. Instead of kicking your shoes off for a quick snooze on the couch, you actually have to go to a bit more trouble. Maybe in that short instant you will realize that there is something more that you can do. With shoes on those feet of yours, your mind says O.K. it time to go to work. You have no excuse for not taking the trash out or putting that box of give-away stuff into the car. You are literally ready for anything. Believe me, when you get that call from school that your child needs you, or that dear friend calls up and says that see needs to talk, "can we have lunch." You are ready! including shoes.
I see this problem more in the Stay at home Moms because they don't have to leave the house each morning, so it is not necessary to get dressed every morning, only their children are going to see them. I want you to listen very closely. You have the most important job of all, raising productive adults. NOW do you want your children to remember that mom didn't get dressed until it was time for Dad to get home. Or do you want them to have to answer the door because you are still in your gown and bathrobe. If you would look at your day just like the Payroll Mom and realize that the jobs around the house will take as long as you let it. (All day in most cases because you allow it) and get off your bottom and get dressed all the way to shoes. Because it is time to go to work.
There is one other great benefit to wearing shoes. The first summer I successfully did this for more than a week or two; I didn't have cracked and bleeding heels. Many rewards are waiting. Now put those shoes on.
I don't want to hear, well I don't wear shoes in my house. Well you do now, sister! Buy or clean up a pair just for that reason. It's not going to be you that tracks in the dirt anyway. You are still the boss and you can require your children to remove their shoes. What is the problem here? In most homes you have had trouble even finding the floor, much less keeping the carpet clean. Do you even know what color it is supposed to be? And when you vacuum once or twice a week the dirt goes away.
Teach your children to not track in stuff. Have a mat outside the door for them to remove unwanted dirt and mud. I bet you have 10 pair of shoes at the door right now. What does that do to your vacuuming schedule? Make the kids take their shoes outside and clean them up, then take to their rooms. If they had to pay for those expensive tennis shoes they would take better care of them.
That is enough of my rant this morning. Now get dressed and put those shoes on your lovely tootsies. Lace up your shoes and start to FLY! This is the first day to your new habit.
FlyLady
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