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Messy Thinking

Listening to Jody Moore and Brooke Castillo has provided a lot of "aha" moments, but the biggest insight is that our thoughts are the drivers of everything in our lives.  This concept has blown me away the past few months. If I want to change anything, I do so by first changing my thinking. And so with this in mind, here are a few thoughts to look at when it comes to keeping a tidy home:

"It is just one thing."--Not true! That cup in the sink will become 20. The outfit left on the floor cause your bedroom to look  like the changing rooms at Old Navy if not addressed pronto!

"I'll do it later."--This is my favorite phrase, but it causes so much trouble in my life. Trevar has been the biggest teacher of the phrase, "Do it Now!" I used to put off unpacking from a vacation for a day or two, but after being married to Trevar I have followed his example and unpacked almost as soon as my feet enter my house. Sometimes I have wondered if I am subconsiously racing with him to see who can be unpacked the fastest. But have said that, it feels wonderful to not be be burdened by the task.

"I need it out.  I use it."--Yes, you do. But trust me, you will thank me when you have a clean countertop, or floor, and vanity. I seriously fought keeping things off the counters for about ten years of marriage. (Toasters, mixers, hairdryers, curling irons, blenders. . .) But Trevar finally won me over. It is amazing how much room you have and how pulled together the space looks by keeping your stuff out of the way! (A picture of my bathroom today. I  pick up after myself even when Trevar is out of town! Yay, me!)

 "I might need this. . . someday!"--Yes, there are times when I have thrown things out or sent an item to DI that I regretted later. (Yes, like the cord to your favorite griddle!) but for the most part, I think we are burdened down as a society by too much stuff. My grandparents, on the other hand lived during a time of stuff scarcity and struggled to make do with what they had. But that is not the challenge that we face. Trinkets, freebies, swag, prizes, sales, and cheap crap all act to weigh us down. Average home sizes have been growing for decades in an effort to house all of our garbage. I have appreciated organizing guru and best-selling author,  Marie Kondo's sage question," Does this item spark joy" ?  If not, THROW IT OUT!

So a quick recap, here are a list of new thoughts to try out if you want an orderly home and life.

"Do it now."

 "A clear counter is a clean counter!"

 "Less is more."

 "Little actions add up."

 Good luck my friends, clean up the thoughts and the actions will follow!

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