Order, Organization, Routine, Etc.

In my attempt to Do Less and clean more things off my "plate" and create a space that is sheltering for my soul, I am beginning a month of cleaning on 'one layer deeper'. My BFF and I often joke about finding things we thought had long been disposed of when we clean "one layer too deep." However, I'm finding that I need to clean on this level so that I can actually have things in order. So my home can breathe!

I'm doing way too much. I'm feeling very emotionally drained. I need a bit more organization of what we do have. I also need to make some deep purges for myself and with my family. We've gotten rid of (passed long, donated, recycled, thrown away) a lot, seriously. But even after all of that, there is still a lot left to be removed in addition to all the clutter that piles up on a day to day basis. (Oh, the piles!) I often feel like I'm losing my mind.

I read an article on Simple Mom entitled The Clutter You Can't See. It talked about relationship clutter, time clutter, body clutter & mind clutter. Areas of our lives where others don't always see the piles of mess we have but that are cluttered nonetheless. This clutter is sometimes harder to remove and adds to the overall pressure in our lives. There were some good suggestions given for how to de-clutter these areas. I totally see that my life has been full of clutter and I am SO ready to de-clutter!!!

I've been working on coming up with a routine for us that is flexible but consistent so that the things the must get done--can and the things that need to happen--will! On paper it looks so easy--translating it into real life is more challenging. I'm including the children more and they have daily chores that they must do to contribute to the good of our home. They've gotten to help out all along, but now I've made it a daily thing as opposed to a random activity.

Just the other evening I read a an article in a parenting magazine about how to organize children's spaces. I have to say I've read so many of these, looking for something cute & quick to help us get organized. All these articles are basically the same. I'm now learning that just like anything else that is worth getting/learning/doing/having--this is going to take time as well. And, something else that I'm seeing is that I do have time. Time is what I have.

So, how do I eat this elephant since I'm not a big fan of elephant meat? One bit at a time, with tipping sauce and some good company, baby! ;-) Anyone want to join me??

For the next month I will be taking my time de-cluttering, putting a little more order in our lives, getting in the flow of a more natural routine and being thankful for the time that I have to do so.

I found the picture at the top at: Apartment Therapy.

8 Things: I Need Less Of

so I couldn't resist especially since today's 8 Things have to do with the whole 'doing less' revolution.

8 Things I need less of:

1. stress--most of this, unfortunately, is self-given. yeah, i have a lot of 'normal' everyday kind of stress: kids fussing & screaming, too much to get done, running late, etc. but in looking at the stresses of my life there is enough that i am placing upon myself. as much as i'd like to say they or he or she it's really me. i've got to value myself more than this. i am choosing not to accept it from myself any more.

2. perfection--one of my stresses. in attempting to make things 'perfect' in my world i place a lot of pressure on myself. the need for deadlines. the lack of sleep i get because i'm either trying to complete tasks or feeling down about not completing them.

3. fear--i don't have a lot of fears. but the ones i have are big ones. the fear of being alone. the fear of being found out--that i'm not what i seem to be. i mean, i am, who i am but not always who i'm supposed to be. fear of being a disappointment to those who matter. again, i'm working diligently on these because i'm learning that those who matter really want to see me--not the image (see pledge of authenticity).

4. clutter--everywhere i look in my house is clutter. ok, this isn't all true. i've spent the last few days cleaning my dining room, bathroom and kitchen and the girls' room. so THOSE spaces are mostly de-cluttered. however the rest of my house is full of clutter. i'd like to move to getting rid of what doesn't have a place. whether it's paper, clothing, books, toys, etc. i really do need less of this in my life!

5. stuff--this is slightly different than clutter to me. it can become clutter when it doesn't have a place but the bottom line is we just have way more than we'll ever use. as a teacher i used to collect and save everything. teaching in public school where resources were quite limited, i learned to create things from leftovers and got into the very bad habit of thinking i'd use something later. it just turned into MORE stuff and clutter around my house. i've given away most everything related to teaching only keeping a bookshelf full of what i'll actually use with my kids now that we're homeschooling. i've gotten into a good habit with clothing! i immediately give away outgrown clothes!! we've even stopped shopping for more than necessities so as to not add to the amount of stuff (the grandparents send enough things to the house for the kids, so my dh & i don't need to add to it! wink, wink!).

6. chores--i really have too much to do. i mean, looking at my list from the other day (at least what i shared there), most of these things are necessities. like laundry and washing dishes, and cooking for the kids and bathing them and cleaning up around the house. i am starting to include them in chores. well, i've always included them, but their "help" hasn't really been help--it's actually been MORE work for me. now that they're starting to be more 'helpful' i guess i need to allow them to do what they can. but somehow this feels like more chores for me--overseeing, instructing, demonstrating, reminding, re-doing, etc. (screaming to no one in particular) WHERE DOES IT END????? (deep sigh)

7. worrying--i can usually keep things in perspective but there are times, now that i'm a mother, that my thought simply run wild!! now, some of my worrying is based in reality (past, first-hand experiences) but a lot of my really big worrying fits are not. i believe that this is in my genes and i'm seeking to create better habits of thinking and speaking to myself.

8. BS--yeah, i still have to deal with some of this....and i just have to say. i need even less!!

if you'd like to join Magpie Girl in 8 Things click here.