Ten Days to Go

Days 19 & 20   

September 28, 2012, I started a 31 day journey to travel through FlyLady's Beginner Babysteps.  According  to my records, today, I should be on Day 29;  however, I knew it might take longer.  The point of this for me was to read through every single day of Cilley's steps, and use this for a guide to improve my habits in taking care of me and the house.  When I am in sync in these two areas, one supports the other.  If I take care of myself, I usually have more energy;  on the other hand, if I take care of the house, it is energizing.

Even though I have had to skip some days of doing housework or was not able to do every step, I can see the progress and feel encouraged that I can do this.  I won't do it perfectly, but I have become more aware of picking up behind myself as I go along.  I have found myself putting things away immediately, so I won't have to do it later.  It is easier to dust, because the tops of my furniture are clear and I don't have to use a spray cleaner every time.  I use my microfiber cloth, microfiber mitt, or an ostrich feather duster.

I admit to not shining my sink every night, but it stays shiny longer when this is a goal.  Getting dressed in the morning, or whenever I wake up, actually motivates me more than shining the sink;  however, it is lovely to have a shiny sink.  I am going to go shine it after I finish this post.  There is nothing groundbreaking going on here:  just days of trying to keep up with the new job I have given myself by being a blogger, and the sense that my life is on an even keel.  That is a good place to be.

Do you feel like your life is on an even keel?  Can you think of one thing you could do that would help you get there?  Or, does your mind feel like a jumbled mass of confusion, wondering when the fog will lift?
Many times we blame this on our illness, which does play around with the hormones and chemical reactions that go on inside our bodies.  If you are in peri-menopause or have just hit menopause, I think these conditions hit Fibromites with a double whammy.  However, I think there is a psychological factor involved too.  When one is ill, day in and day out, when one is exhausted most of the time, it seems to breed more exhaustion out of the frustration that has built.  It's going to take a process and time to see improvement.  I have been working on getting my good habits back for four years with several setbacks, such as flares, a broken ankle, hip replacement, a sprained knee, and a move.  Each time I have recovered, I had to slowly start adding small steps to my routine.  This time it has been a little easier.

Just for a couple of minutes, other than taking your medications and supplements, what small step can you take that will help you move from stasis to flow?  I encourage you to take a very tiny step.  It doesn't have to be cleaning house.  It could be as simple as going outside and walking around the house once or going fishing.  Could you go to the library or to a park?  Or maybe, it would be as simple as taking the dishes out of the sink and cleaning it.  Make it really shiny--but not perfect.  Then, dry it with a towel.

What I have found is one move leads to another move.  It is almost like setting dominoes into action, except you will be stepping up, not falling down.

P. S.  Day 20 mentioned taking care of laundry in the morning and at night.   This is a fresh load into the dryer from the washer: I took this picture tonight.  I love washing things in cold water.  How many of you remember having to wash whites, lights, and darks?  Now, I combine my whites and lights.  I know this is how my daughter with 7 children keeps up with her laundry.  My other daughter washes clothes at night too.  Just one word:  please don't go to sleep with the dryer going.  We had a friend whose house burned down from a dryer fire, while she ran an errand in her car.  That's why FlyLady encourages people to get the lint you don't see out of the dryer.