Persistence in Cleaning --an example of success!

One little candle in the darkness

 A light in the darkness, could that mean a glimmer of hope?  Or is it merely, the cute rabbit some friends gave me with a battery candle that flickers?  Yea!  It is the rabbit, which is shaped so much like a turtle, I had to see it to remember what it was.  But the point is I can see it now on my table that has taken me a month to get shipshape amidst illness and other jobs that need to be done in a house.

Rabbit and Birthday Box in the Light

So now I present the unveiling of the Clean Table, my work table and my dining room table when we have more than four people eating.  It is old; and it is special to me, because it belonged to my grandmother.  I am thinking of painting it, but I haven't yet.  I think the legs would be hard to paint, and my body would not like the contortions it would take to do it.

Here it is, my table with my box that can hide notebooks,
craft paper or whatever needs moving when it becomes
a dining table.  The big box is part of my birthday.
I love the brightness of it in this paneled room

   

 Would you believe it took me almost two months to get to this point?    And I'm not done, because I have a sideboard to finish.  And I did not pile everything on the sideboard.  I have been systematically working on this from five to fifteen minutes a day, minus a few days for sick leave.  I have been organizing craft supplies, throwing away trash, filing direction booklets and other filables, and giving away clutter that is usable.  I have less than I started with, which makes me very happy.  Also, I have found items that made cleaning feel like Christmas.  Today, I am closer to my goal than yesterday.  

You can do this too.  It has just been proven what can be done using a few minutes out of your day.  It may take longer than you want, but it feels so good to know you are not hiding papers and other paraphernalia in your closet, just to make it look like you have a clutter-free house or room.

Those bags and boxes that are hidden in the closet only seem to attract more clutter, which adds up to a pile that seems insurmountable, so one ignores it, because that is easier than dealing with it.  It becomes a habit to clean up quickly, until one cannot do it anymore and there is not anyplace left to hide the clutter.

Moving did it for me, even though I  was slowly working it before.  Even though I was decluttering before, it wasn't enough after moving into a small house.  I know the decisions about what to keep and not to keep are going to get harder, but I am determined to do this one step at a time.

Self-Motivation - Toolkit for Success

The thing we are working on now is self-motivation.  I can practically hear some of the groans, because I have been in the place where I thought I would never be motivated again, which made me feel guilty and more depressed.  Having an illness that clings like a vine on a brick wall that you can't get rid of is disheartening, a miserable state of existence;  until, a change is affected in one's heart.   I had to learn to quit looking back at what was, and learn to live in my present.  That actually helped with the self-motivation. 

Very simply, I am going to list the things we should be doing now.  We should be visualizing each step of the habit we are going to change.  My habit is to sit at the computer less.  I am visualizing myself writing my blog, the timer goes off after **30 minutes:  I may make that a little longer.  This is a work in progress.  I get up:  go to the bathroom, get some more water to drink, fix myself a snack, do about 15 to 30 minutes of housework, or whatever needs doing.  The main idea is to move around and free my mind from writing for a few minutes.  Now, I need to take a break.  I'm getting a cup of decaffeinated coffee and 2 lemon snaps (my dessert);  and, I am going to watch a television program, something light and funny.

Most habits being changed should be for a shorter duration than I plan, such as

Toolkit for Success - Adaptation

The goal of my blog posts are to encourage you and to share things I have been learning on my chronic illness journey.  Our disabilities and symptoms will not always be the same, but I have found that people who have a chronic or invisible illness often share symptoms, such as fatigue or depression.  These are two areas, with which I have struggled;  and they impacted my routines in negative ways, especially in the area of cleaning house.  I have been a Flylady fan for several years, and I have had success in using her methods to get on track again.  Being a flybaby and adapting the things I have learned from reading Marla Cilley's website have been helpful for me.  She has blessed many people in a variety of situations with her insight into FLYING, finally loving yourself.  As we travel this journey together, I would like you to think about this:  when you finally love yourself, it is a step towards loving other people better.  I am thinking I will also write something about this in my devotional blog, Take Comfort.

As you know, my week was busy last week;  and I have a little cold -- I think.   However, because my habits are improving, I know I can do some things around the house without making myself more ill.  We all have to adapt to our own circumstances, so I am not suggesting you do as I do.  No one knows how your body reacts better than yourself.  I have learned I must listen to my body.  There are times I need complete rest.  You need to adapt what you learn to your circumstances, just as I have.  I am not a doctor, a therapist, or any kind of medical professional.  I am a pilgrim on a journey to improving the way I live my life, so I hope we can have a dialogue during this series of blog posts.One of the things I want you to keep in mind, as you read,  is that I am trying to lay a foundation to work from in this blog post.  Or perhaps, we could call it a blueprint.  

The answers to changing habits and finding what works for you and me takes time.  And I do not want you to be discouraged, because it is a process which does not happen overnight.  However, when the light comes on, that change is possible, that one does not have to stay stuck, it is liberating.

I have been developing a Toolkit through the years,