Mar. 5, 2006 - :hugs:

Posted by Sweetie

I can totally relate -- I'm an *all or nothing* gal, too. I hope your scheadule is successful today!!

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Mar. 10, 2006 - Trust me, Baby Steps work!

Posted by DMalament

I can so relate to what you are saying. I have been there. I was so bad, before I started FlyLady, that I would sit at the computer for hours just playing solitaire, because there was just no way anything I could do would make any difference whatsoever, not even a dent, so why try. So I wouldn't. But it is a lie. The little babysteps really do make a difference. My house still is not perfect, and still is not completely decluttered, still is not 15 minute/room company ready, but it is so much better than it was. I was able to bring into my home someone else's 1-year-old yesterday with very little preparation time, because the kitchen had been mopped about a week before, and the living room was mostly decluttered, the basement was decluttered enough that I was able to find the baby gate very quickly to keep the baby in the main level, and the bedroom doors closed meant that the condition of the bedrooms didn't matter, even though they were pretty clean too. (only two levels in my house.) Granted Mt. Washmore is piled on my dresser so high that I can't see the mirror, but the bed was made, and the floor had been vacuumed the day before. The living room end tables are currently piled high with the things that are usually on the under-shelf of the coffee table, because we didn't want the baby to get into little things, but five years ago my table tops would not have been clear enough to move the coffee table things to the table tops. It really works. The way to get there is to change your thinking. God wants you to obey Him and be faithful in what he has given you to do. But, sinful creatures that we are, we need ten words of praise for each one word of criticism. For years it seemed that if I cleaned my house for three hours, someone would come in and point out what I had missed. Now I refuse to let stuff like that get to me. I even use my blog to give myself the words of praise I need to get going. If my husband comes home and, not meanly but just as a matter of fact, says, "Do you think you could clean out the fridge tomorrow?" I don't blow up, any more. Now I might say something like, "I'll try, but it might take until Monday. Tomorrow I have to take B to co-op at 9, pick her up at 11, take her to work at 1, and I was planning to make the beds, sweep and vacuum, go to the grocery store for this item, and homeschool JD, including a nature walk, art and science. Realistically, I don't think I can do the fridge tomorrow, unless you have a suggestion of what I should leave off of my list that I already have... How about if I just wipe up some of the crumbs when I am making lunch, and when I am making dinner I'll see if I can get rid of any science experiments and figure out what stinks in there...?" So, I have helped my husband to know that I am not just watching tv or blogging all day, and I have given him the opportunity to exercise leadership, like if he wants me to cancel school, ship the kids off to grandma's, and hire a maid or something. (Har! Har!, like we could do any of that...) Hope that helps. Be encouraged. Fight the good fight. Love and train your children. They are always being trained by you, either in a good way or in a perfectionist way. Just because we struggle with perfectionism doesn't mean we think it is good or that we want to pass it along to our kids if we can help it... Make short lists. Congratulate yourself when you complete them. For me, I even credit myself in the morning that I made my bed, showered, dressed, and fed the kids and the dogs! Blessings, Diana

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Jul. 11, 2006 - Your last post on scheduling

Posted by KristasKorner

Just random blogging....stop trying to be perfect. More importantly, stop beating yourself up b/c you are not perfect. Lean on the LORD, the perfect one. Everything will be there tomorrow. Keep the children safe, keep on top of the laundry, stay in HIS spirit, use 2, 5, 10 & 15 minute increments to get things done. My kids absolutely love it when I set the microwave timer for 2 minutes and we see how much we can get done in that time! We pick/up one room for 2 minutes. After that we go on with our day and a bit later we do another 2 minute tidy somewhere else! Ty it...it's fun! Blessings, Krista

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