It is time. Time for me to get serious about cleaning my house this weekend. Being at home all the time, you would think I had all the time I wanted to clean my house now. Since I don’t like cleaning, this is not the case. However, I can totally appreciate how nice everything is when I am finished, the clean smell, the orderliness of things. I find myself at times doing everything I can to avoid unpleasant tasks. Sometimes doing the bare minimum is all I have in me to do!
On occasion, I get on a roll with cleaning, and I just go at it until I run out of steam. Subsequently, the problem with this method is that it takes time to build up the gumption to start after it is left for too long. Since there are different styles of cleaning, some are popular, and some are effective. I am trying to work on a schedule for cleaning my home, just like I am working on my writing career.
The different methods.
Popular methods of cleaning vary between different sources. I have a home organization challenge I am holding as the gold standard. Toni Hammersley is the creator of A Bowl Full of Lemons, a very useful resource of helpful information for cleaning, organizing and decorating your home. She has books and printable documents to help you achieve your goals. She has a very active facebook group and I recommend looking it up and joining not just for cleaning, but also for ideas to help you clean and organize. If you are looking for the best spring cleaning challenge out there, this is what you want to check out.
Most importantly, I want to finish it this year. The cleaning I am working on this weekend is actually preparation for the deep clean in this style.
Marie Kondo is currently very popular. If you have seen anything referring to sparking joy, that is her method for decluttering your spaces. For example, it means that when you hold an item and it does not spark joy, you are to let it go. On the other hand, if it does, then you are to keep it. It is an interesting method, which might relate loosely to the Clean Sweep shows which were popular years ago.
Another cleaning method is by the fly lady. For busy people, a few minutes here and there every day will add up to a cleaning routine which requires little upkeep. As a result, in the long run, the maintenance of this method allows for cleaning on the fly. Hence the name for the fly lady.
How does cleaning compare to writing?
The thing is, I am an all or nothing person. I need to be all in, or I don’t bother with a lot of things. Changing how I approach cleaning and writing will be necessary so that I am able to adjust. As a result, I need to schedule blocks of time for each activity because I need to make them a part of every day. In addition, once I am able to manage this, I will create some positive habits to follow.
Realistically, for me, it is easier to think about these things than it is to plan them. In an effort to avoid having to overcome writer’s block, writing on a regular basis will instill the need to write every day. If I need to skip a day, it is not a big deal, as long as I go back and write the following day. This also relates to the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. If you go off the eating plan, you can correct it by going back on plan in three hours. A book is not written in one sitting, and this is something which is helping me with the thought process of a cleaning and writing schedule.
Writing Habits
If I clean for one hour, I should write for one hour. Adapting to working from home is something new to me, and if I start setting up my schedule early in the process, I will develop good habits that will make this plan sustainable. Likewise, exercise and sleep are also important to fit in. Breaks need to be scheduled to be reasonable. A break can be as long as I want it to be. This could be troublesome if it is left to chance. I can be distracted when I am not focusing on the time or what I am supposed to be doing.
If you are new to writing, the habit of five minutes, every day is how to start. For instance, I sit and hammer out on the keys whatever I am writing on when I write. I need to get things going but realize I will never accomplish either goal without making time for other projects.
When I am really in the creativity zone, I can become very involved with projects. It is hard for me to focus, sometimes so when I do, I can lose track of time when I am being creative. This can work against me if I am needing to split my time between different projects. Deadlines are also a concern, for the reason that they will force me to focus on the task I am working on. As a result, other projects are left aside, even if they are just as important to get completed. It is good to have a deadline to encourage me to complete projects.
What is your cleaning schedule like? Do you have a preferred method to share? Please leave a comment so that maybe we can improve upon our own strengths, and eliminate the weak points.
I have been reflecting today as I am now actively involved in a fourth new group I found on facebook. There are a lot of possible outcomes when one surfs the internet. One click can lead down a dark narrow path to things you never imagined, not even in your worst nightmares. Evil does lurk in the world, and I am certain that there is a way to twist any online search into something most people would never look for.
I have been expanding my horizons and plans for the future. I am careful when I am online, but I choose ads on facebook if they REALLY speak to me. That is how I found the A Bowl Full Of Lemons facebook group. I was looking for guidance and inspiration in my household cleaning struggles. I know how to clean, I just don’t like doing it! So I clicked on the link, joined the group, and worked on one project.
Pantry Shelf Project
Since then, it has been fairly organized, and I had some help to reinforce the shelves (Thanks, Dad!). It needs some TLC this year, but I am still proud of completing this project. The facebook group has SO many good organization ideas, before and after pics, and some amazing decorating ideas. It is something I have worked towards this year, and so far I have been able to share my Coffee Station Complete! project. There will be more pics coming soon from my kitchen, I promise!
I have yet to make it through the whole house with the challenge. I am confident that this will be the year. I shared a picture when I bought a new shelving unit for my Master Bedroom, as I am moving my craft studio out of the Guest Room and relocating it in the larger Master Bedroom.
Craft Studio Relocation Project
The area is still “under construction”. That means I am still in the planning stages of how to reorganize my craft supplies in this room. I have taken step two today, and purchased a second cube bookcase, with 6 squares, not 9. I had already bought the matching plastic bins for it while they were on sale, but again, I felt I was being held back from completing this project because I didn’t have all of the pieces for it ready to go. I still have to assemble the shelf, (and move a dresser to that side of the room to put the new shelf on top of) but I can work on that as soon as I finish my kitchen. I have no regrets about joining this facebook group, at all.
I also found the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Plan in the same way. THM is a lifestyle change in how you eat food. It is wonderful, they have more than one facebook group, actually, and I am a member of several different THM facebook groups. I have implemented many of their guidelines into my life, and when I am on plan, I feel great! I need to focus on staying on plan more than being off plan because I KNOW IT WORKS WHEN YOU WORK IT. I have seen it for myself. So I start every day trying to stay on plan. Some days I succeed. Others I don’t. One of the best things about the plan is that you work it into your own life, and if you go off plan, well you just pull up your socks and get back on plan. No worries. I realized, when I was looking at this ad two years ago, that what I was doing was not working, so I was ready to try something different. I am still not 100% on plan, but I am more convinced than ever that I can do it because I am. This is another group that came along when I needed it, and I have no regrets about joining this group, either.
The third group I joined in 2016. I was thinking about how to get my lyrics out to the world. I had watched a motivational video, I have written about this before, and I decided it was time. About the same time I started looking into this, I decided that I was also done waiting to write books, and I wanted to make the dream of becoming an author a reality. While this was all being processed in my mind, another facebook group, the Ninja Writers showed up in my ads. Well, this group has been a game changer for me. The Ninja Writers Facebook Page has been an incredible resource. I had no idea how to brand myself as an author, how or why to start a Blog, or what I had to do to make this all effective towards my goal of becoming an author. I even designed my own tartan and logo for it! I have made friends that have really helped me with this blog, and spark a passion in me that I didn’t even know I had the potential for. And if you are reading this, you know that I am blogging frequently, to develop my writing habit and expand my creative horizons. There are no regrets for me in terms of joining this group. Only positive strides towards making a dream into a reality.
The fourth group is a new addition. One of my fellow Ninja Writers shared a new group page on her wall, encouraging people to check it out. I became curious, and trusted my fellow Ninja Writer friend, and joined the group. It is called 100 Coffees. They have a facebook group, 100 Coffees Facebook Group and through that group, you can join their website. It is for women entrepreneurs, and they are based on networking through the group, to meet members through coffee meetings. This has an immense potential for people like me, trying to find their way in this online business world. Membership is free, and eventually, there will be other options for paid subscribers, but I am in the group and hoping to make new friends, get and give support to and from members, and to learn as much as I can from my peers. This is a great concept, and I am glad to be involved with it already.
One thing that is very important to keep in mind when you join a new group online, is to find out the rules. The people that create these groups have their reasons, and sticking to their rules will mean you get to remain in the group, and get all the benefits of belonging. If you choose to just join a bunch of groups to do your own thing, disregarding the rules, expect your time in that group to be limited. The rules keep the group working together towards a common goal, and going your own way will likely result in you getting the boot.
So there you have it. The internet is not just being used for evil. When you are surfing, and something keeps showing up in your feed, and it is a group or a theme that resonates with you, check it out! You might find something wonderful! If you don’t, leave the group and find another one that works for you and helps you in your life. If any of the above groups peak your interest, check them out! I am glad I did, and maybe you will be too!
