I enjoyed reading everyone's take on the FlyLady philosophy. . .
Truth to tell, I have learned a lot in the last two days about something I thought I had pretty well in hand. While I agree with Bookworm about shoes.... (I don't wear them in the house) I just see that as a key for FlyLady that must have made a big difference for her, so she adds it into the mix. I don't let this distract me from the other things I can learn from her.
I signed up for the email reminders... (and you get quite a few during the day)... I don't know.... a dozen? Anyway, right away, something positive happened because of those silly little reminders. There was one that came that asked if there was someone you knew who would appreciate a card or letter from you. Well right away I remembered a friend that I had made a mental note to write to on a regular basis. She is not able to answer my letters, so it is easy to forget to write. But there was the "silly" little email reminder staring me in the face. So, right that moment I composed the letter and got it off in the mail about half an hour before the mailman showed up. She will get her letter today.
I like the structured idea of moving through the zones of your house. I can make all kinds of lists, but feel just as free to ignore them. But I find myself wanting to keep up with the "energy" of this group of motivated homemakers! It's the very best aspect of peer pressure imaginable !
So today I already know that I will be working on my front porch. I have a rather bedraggled arrangement of stuff by the door that needs cleaned up. The whole thing needs swept and the front door wiped down. Heck, I might even prune the rose bush by the porch railing while I am at it!
And best of all she inspired me to do a morning routine BEFORE turning on my computer. So as I sit here, I am dressed, fed, vitamined, my bed is made and my laundry is churning in the washer. . .
Sometimes we just need a little push you know?
It just occurred to me what is so useful about this group of on line people!
As homemakers, we are often isolated in our work. If I clean out my walk in closet, spend 2 hours on it, and it is a marvel of organization and cleanliness, no one else is going to see that, or know the time I spent on it. Just me. Most of the time, that is satisfaction enough. But over the years, that reward can grow a little thin. This way, if I am aware that hundreds of other homemakers are cleaning off their porches too, it gives me a feeling of camaraderie. Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.
So while I may not have my shoes on right now, I still consider myself a bona fide FlyBaby!
Check it out:
Before. . . .
[album 65561 Before Porch2.JPG]
After. . . . .
[album 65561 After Porch2.JPG]
Look at that. You clean your porch, and you get a cat for free!
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As part of a new series of diary extras, I am including a quote once a week from a book I have called "The Empty Chair" that has sayings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who lived in the 1700's
This seems to be an appropriate quote, considering what's been going on around here the last couple of days.....
" Don't make the same mistake as all those people who give up trying to change
because they feel stuck in their habits. If you truly want to, and are willing to work hard enough, you can overcome them." Rebbe Nachman of Breslov