Fly Lady

Lately, I've been following the Fly Lady system and having a lot of success. Have you heard of Fly Lady? Www.flylady.com is a resource for people who need help organizing their lives, whether that be from excessive clutter, habitually getting behind on their housework or struggling to stay on top of life's demands. She starts you off with 31 easy "baby steps," the first of which is cleaning your kitchen sink, which is probably the hardest step I've seen so far, although I'm only on day 13. She asks you to make simple changes, like cleaning for only two minutes. Two minutes! I can do anything for two minutes, right?

I've had the biggest kick out of trying her decluttering system. Fly lady suggests that you grab three bins: one for trash, one for giveaway, and one for things to put away. Pick a room to declutter and set the timer for 15 min. Anything that you find in this area that doesn't belong there, but you definitely want to keep, goes in the put away bin. The giveaway bin and trash bin have uses which are probably pretty obvious. When deciding whether to keep something or not, Fly Lady suggests that you ask yourself some questions. One of these is, "Does this object make me sad when I look at it?" My husband and I were just discussing the other night how so many things we have around the house are just items we've kept out of a sense of obligation, even though the objects just depress us. We put lots of stuff out on the curb, which is perfectly acceptable in West Oakland, and we were so happy afterwards. It was surprisingly fun and a big relief to just get rid of stuff like that. She also suggests asking yourself, when you see that you have more than one of something, "Do I really need multiples of this object? Is there one I like best that I could keep and get rid of the others?" I know that we have multiples of many things for which we only truly need one.

Part of the Fly Lady system is the art of creating and following routines that help you approach your day with a certain level of grace. A good example is to simply pick out your clothes the night before. This is something I've always known some people do, but I had never done it, since I never perceived the value of the practice. I started trying it because it's one of the Fly Lady baby steps, and I wanted to give her suggestions the old college try, right? So, in trying out this little habit, I've discovered that getting ready in the morning is actually much easier. I never realized how much time was wasted in the morning just trying to figure out what to wear. In the evening, it's an easy thing to do, because I have the energy to have fun picking out clothes. In the morning, I'm tired, and there's so many demands all at once, like the three cats circling me like vultures, wanting breakfast, and all the various tasks of motherhood. I've been pleasantly surprised to discover that I pick out pretty outfits in the evening, much nicer than what I tend to pick out in the morning, when I'm bleary-eyed and cranky. In the morning, the clothes I decide on tend to be pajamas. I've realized that, by wearing a more attractive outfit, I respect myself more, and that certainly helps me approach the day with more zeal.

A word of caution, though... If you plan on trying the Fly Lady system, be careful not to go overboard. She is always saying this is a potential pitful for those who get overly excited once they start cleaning, because folks gets overzealous and then burn out. She points out that your house did not get messy overnight, so don't try to get it clean overnight. Just keep plugging away in small increments and developing good habits, and eventually you will have a home in good order.