Let's Clean Together

It makes me sad to have to admit it, but this goal didn’t work out at all the way I hoped it would.

I had dreamed that it would somehow become a way to work together mutually on housecleaning goals. It never really did turn into that. A few tips were shared, perhaps. Mostly though it has only ever been a place to brag that yes, a person has done something…and encouraging each other when we’ve done something is great…but I never was able to gel a real “team spirit” out of it all. I never felt like there was any sense of working together towards a specific mutual goal.

I had wanted something a little bit like FlyLady, I guess, without being as nitpicky or all-pervasive and vehement as she was.

I can’t blame anyone but myself. I’m the one who hasn’t changed. Other people who took this goal on made WONDERFUL changes, and for them I am SO happy and proud! But for me, I’m going to have to keep looking. I need something more intimate, perhaps. Something more direct. Maybe something more directed. Maybe I’m hoping for an impossible balance between encouraging support and leaving me the hell alone when I just can’t damned well stand to do anything.

I don’t know. Somehow I feel like this almost worked. Like it might have worked, if I’d just tried harder and done something better. But for me I guess it isn’t really working. I’m letting it go now, because I don’t want the guilt anymore. I want to make room for a better idea to come along.

To anyone else who stays on the team: Please let me know if anything cool starts happening! I still care. I just don’t know what do do about myself.

but I need to give up on this goal for awhile. It’s just not happening; whenever I try to take steps toward this I get sidetracked with all the other house restoration projects. I don’t end up cleaning anything, and then I just get depressed because I’m such a slob.

I’m trying to simplify my goals because right now they just read like a list of unattainable things that make me feel like crap. So, until there’s not plaster and drywall dust and insulation fibers everywhere, I have to let this one go. Hopefully when things get more settled I can pick it back up!

These past weeks I have been totally inundated with personal troubles and work load and things that kept not calling but screaming for my attention. My own wellbeing not being the least of them. And I listened – and totally neglected many things, such as doing administrative things. Paying bills… meh, it happened to other people.

Be that as it may, Mr. Insurance Company would still like to see my cash you know? Yet the pile was growing and getting more intimidating every day. It was not just bills (gods no, luckily) but also other things that simply need to be dealt with. I need to get rid of my business so I need to do away with the forms for that, and also close the business bank account – after all, they’re still charging me for the priviledge of not-quite-owning my never-used bank card… There were postcrossing cards to register (shame on me!) and postcards to snap for 43.

Just did it.

Tackled the pile. Went at it knife and fork, so to speak. And how long did it take me? About an hour but that is including Facebook, 43 and boy in the background. I could have done it in 20 minutes maximum. Ten if I put my back into it.

So now for the other action points on my list.

Would anyone be willing to join me in a cleaning challenge?

I really need to do some work in my bedroom. I’ve been putting it off for a very long time. I don’t even know how much progress I might make if I tried. The whole chore seems so daunting I haven’t done anything to make it better in months. It’s just gotten worse and worse. I can’t even see my carpet any more.

If anyone else has a specific chore they’d like to tackle, I’d like to coordinate one hour (synchronized) when we can pledge to both be working on our “challenge chore” together.

I live on the west cost of the USA, so for me right now it is almost 10pm as I write this. I think that the entry will timestamp with whatever hour is local to you, though. Knowing that, we can allow for the time difference when we set up our challenge.

I am free most of the day tomorrow (Friday). I would specifically like to do my challenge hour sometime between 10am and 3pm my time. If anyone is free at the same time, and would be willing to check in with me as we get ready to do this, I think it would be very encouraging to know I wasn’t the only person out there working at a boring, scary, annoying, potentially very rewarding chore that’s been hanging over my head for too long.

Any takers?

Any would-be takers if we scheduled it for next week (same hours)?

I REALLY don’t feel like going to TKD tonight, so instead I need to continue cleaning.

• file work papers
• go through boxes of fabric
• finish going through stack of clothes from yesterday
• hang up other clothes
• take plastic bin downstairs
• put shoes away

I finally feel like I’m ready to try this again! Now that we’re a little more settled in our new place, and almost everything is unpacked (still VERY unorganized, though) I’d like to start keeping things clean. Small steps:

• Keep dishes under control
• at some point this week, clean the kitchen floor.

The kitchen was our dumping ground for supplies and tools while we were ripping up carpet and refinishing the floors, and it shows. We’re going to replace the kitchen floor at some point, but in the meantime, I’ve got to clean it. It’s embarrassing – I’ve just been ignoring all the dirt!

I need to:

• wash dishes
• clear off desk (again!)
• put away sparring gear
• 2 loads of laundry
• put clothes away
• clear dresser
• put 3 boxes of books in car
• clean mirror
• take misc. stuff out to car
• clear night table
• bring down recycling stuff

And…go!

It’s just not happening for me.

This is so simple. I don’t know how it’s going to work, but my intuition says there’s something here.

I have an issue with to-do lists. Different things are important to me at different times, and some things are done once-and-for-all, while others are done “for now” but need to be done again regularly.

It bothers my sense of order to have my lists always in a state of being partially completed. I wanted a system where I can always be looking at JUST the things that are relevant RIGHT NOW.

I picked up one of these ringed index card packets at the college bookstore. Mine is about 2”x3”, and comes with a cover and a couple of colored cards to use as dividers within the main card pack. Normally they’re used like flash cards to learn vocabulary words or chemistry formulas or something.

Here are instructions for how to make your own ringed index cards cheaply.

My idea is that I will put one task on each little card. There will still be room to add notes, phone numbers, steps taken, etc. on each one. Then when I’m done with that task I can move it to the “completed” section of my ring and not have to worry about it any more. If it is a repeating task, I can just as easily move it back up into my “active” section when I need to.

I am gonna try it! I’ll let you know if I have any good results. :)

I’m on task this AM, and my goal is to remove a massive amount of clutter by the end of Sunday.

I’ve already cleared and cleaned the coffee table and cleared and vacuumed the sofa, and am now taking 3 loads of clutter to the truck to go to the shelter’s donation box and the recycling center.

I’ve had it! I can’t take it anymore. I don’t admit failure often, but I’ve failed at being a good steward of my home. Enough. Stop being a spoiled brat, Grace, and get on with it.