I'm not allowed to use the P word, Flylady hates it and I have to say so do I. It's an unrealistic expectation that makes us feel guilty, overwhelms us and causes us to procrastinate (because we don't have time to do it perfectly right?) But today's babystep is to practice the things we've done so far.
I was quicker off the mark this morning. I did come downstairs in my dressing gown to make breakfast for the kids but went straight back up to get dressed as soon as they were settled. Having tackled the hair and body last night it was an easy job to straighten my fringe instead of letting it run wild on it's own and tie my hair into a neat pony tail. I put on my moisteriser and some make up. I always feel better with a little light skin covering foundation to even out my hormone riddled complexion. Interestingly, as I had set this time aside I relished the 10 minutes peace and quiet to prepare for my day. I even said prayers as I was getting ready and it felt good to have this start to the day. lace up shoes in place I headed into the day.
My sink, shined the night before, smiled at me as I went to empty the dishwasher and again, I admit defeat at FlyLady's wisdom, it does feel better to start your day with an empty, clean sink rather than the detrius of last nights dinner. The shiny sink thing seems a bit bizarre to the uninitiated but for the easily side tracked mind it is a beacon of hope. I was less of a perfectionist about my sink today although I was sure to wipe it out after every use. After dinner, for the first time in a long time, I immediately washed up the pots in order to restore my sink to the glory of an hour earlier. All of these things seem quite commonplace but to me they really helped the day go more smoothly.
The lace up shoes are interesting. As I stated yesterday this is a habit I'd had for a while so I tried to keep in mind today what difference it made to my life. Small things, granted, but life is made up of the small things isn't it? My mother popped round today and I'd been meaning to return a book to her. She'd left just as I remembered to gice it to her but with shoes on my feet I was able to run out after her with it instead of having the burden of it either on my mind or in my house. Bear in mind that in my family they call my house "the blackhole" if somebody lends me something it maybe a while before you get it back, usually because I've forgotten I have it or it completely slips my mind to give it to you when I see you. That's the crux of the problem isn't it! Because I have no system in place I'm constantly fire fighting whatever comes up during the day which means other things get neglected. I get by but I feel exhausted at the end of each day and my mind is always racing over what I have to do - and it's a long list.
I've appreciated the focus these small steps have given me and promised myself that I won't race ahead or feel guilty about that. Despite the fact that there are enough toys in the playroom to provide for a small country or enough paper in the study to start a forest fire I will take this one day at a time and establish a routine that will bring peace to myself and my family and turn my house into a home.
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