Monday, November 4, 2013

LBA (Lazy Bum Anonymous)

One of the hardest things to do in life is to just be honest with yourself.  As if admitting mistakes or failings will mean you are a failure.  But nothing changes when you're on the path of denial.

Hello, my name is Kate, and I can be incredibly lazy.  I once told a friend (who had some time off from teaching during a summer) that she should be careful.  I had found that the more time you have to get things done, the more you will tell yourself you can do it tomorrow.  And then the next day, and so forth.  When I was a housewife, I had endless amounts of "me" time.  I found it easy to put things off, to just zone out watching movies.  Our house would be in disarray and instead of feeling motivated I would get overwhelmed and just hide from it.  We'd go out for coffee for hours to avoid it.  I could clean, but declutter?  No.

Enter Eleanor.  Dealing with a newborn, I'm told you should forget about cleaning and focus on them.  But strangely, having her has made me more motivated.  I suddenly craved the time to spend cleaning and organizing, and would happily hand her off to G when he came home so that I could just do dishes and clear off the counters.  But it seemed like there was never enough time.  In all honesty, I clearly wasn't making the time.  We were still practicing avoidance.

Well, she's almost 2.  Seriously, that boggles my mind.  And not only is she more easily spending time amusing herself, but the kid is mildly OCD.  Fuzz ball?  She yells so someone will rescue her from it.  Something on her hands?  Oh, hells no.  She's just now accepting that she can lick her fingers.  And best of all....she likes to clean.  Oh yes, give that child her small broom and dustpan and she will pretend to sweep for a good half hour.  Ask her to help you put away silverware and she is more than happy to push the step stool over and put like with like.  So, not only do I have more time with her entertained, but she can help tidy.  She has been throwing things away and picking up when asked since she was around a year old, I kid you not. 

So, here I am, admitted lazy person.  Only this time without the computer?  I'm less lazy, go figure.  I have spent my days painting the walls in our house (still to be completed, but I painted for 5 1/2 hours straight last Friday night), cleaning up, cooking, folding clothes, etc.  And last night I finally decided to set up a program to create the habit of tidying.  My kitchen is now 90% tidy.  And every morning I will be spending 15 minutes of spots that need tidying.
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It's now been a week and it's working well.  My coffee table was cleared on the first full day and has stayed that way since.  It's not always completely tidy (what with the toddler and all), but it is every night.  Same goes for the desk.  My kitchen counters were the first thing I attacked and with the exception of today (I've done something bad to my back and am hobbling like an 80 year old woman), they've stayed clear of clutter and dishes.
Our next big project is tackling the rest of our bedroom and closet.  Oy vey!  Stay tuned!

Oh, and the book I read (quickly, it's short) was: The Staying Organized Survival Guide by Chloe Wilson. 

11 comments:

  1. Your coffee table looks tidy, calming and cozy. It's a fine balance between decluttered/sterile and decluttered/cozy. I prefer cozy and calm over sterile.

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    1. Stephanie, Thanks! I totally agree it's a fine balance. And sterile is not my style. I prefer a collected look.

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  2. I love the idea of spending 15 minutes a day on a "hot spot." We think we can't get much done in 15 minutes because it doesn't seem like much time -- but it is!

    This morning, I didn't feel like unloading/reloading the dishwasher while waiting for my tea to brew. I just wanted to wait around for a couple of minutes, then go upstairs and read email with my tea. Well, I forced myself to do it anyway, and I timed it. It only took SEVEN MINUTES to unload and reload the dishwasher and start it. That's all.

    So, we can get more done than we think in just a few minutes.

    Marsi

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    1. Marsi,

      It's so true that you can get more done than you think! I find that it forces you to focus on the task, and makes your mind work more clearly. I've totally been there with my coffee/tea and the dishwasher!

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  3. Hello there! I can't remember if I've ever "introduced" myself (pardon me if this is redundant)...so: I've been checking into your blog on and off for about...oh, since you were in England maybe...? I am also a fellow francophile, and my husband and I originally hail from Philly, but live in Colorado now.

    Anyway, I had to comment since this post really resonated with me. Give me a week to do something, it'll take me a week and a day to do it! Instead of keeping up with "projects" or housework, I let it all pile up and then I hide in bed and feel sorry for myself!

    I enjoy reading your blog! Keep up with the great writing!

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    1. Wem,

      Thanks for saying hello! Colorado is such a pretty place! Procrastination leads to running from things (or hiding head). I have a whole room that proves that point (but let's save that for another day, shall we?).

      Thanks for commenting!

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  4. Looks awesome! Great job :) You've inspired me to start decluttering my own place.

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    1. Crystal,

      Thanks! I'd love to see how you keep Pinch away from the cat things! Our home's open plan means the dogs are gated off a whole level.

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  5. Your place looks great! And I've been there, done that and back there...again. Since we didn't have internet for almost three weeks. I got a lot done and my garden, which is beginning to have life is almost done. Now to more decluttering every week.

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