Half the battle of winning the war on clutter is in our attitude.. Recently I sat in on a discussion about housecleaning. As I thought on the subject it dawned on me that our work has become the enemy, but play, on the other hand, is our friend. We spend hours lamenting our lot in life and wishing we had more time to do the fun things. Since our work is never going to go away, our happiness or unhappiness will be affected. Because we must spend so much time on necessary tasks and upkeep, we need to have a change of heart. Attitude is the key.
If we look at our work as the enemy, or something that must be done before we can enjoy life, then each minute we spend on it will be drudgery. We will look at our work as wasting our time and stealing from the “real” life we should be living. Now I am not saying that if your spouse comes to you and says, “Honey, it’s a beautiful day. What would you like to do?”, that you must answer, “Oh, gee. The sun is shining, the birds are singing...I guess I want to stay here and dust. Oh, joy! What fun!” No, no , no!
On the other hand, there can be immense satisfacrion in a job well done. There can be a clean and uncluttered atmosphere that promotes family time and productivity. Have you ever decided you wanted to create something beautiful or useful for your home and then been thwarted because of your unorganization? Here’s an example from my own life. I like to quilt. There have been times that I wanted to sew, but couldn’t find the fabric I needed, the scissors, thread, pattern, ruler, rotary cutter, or mat because my sewing room had become just a stach place and a dump for whatever was in somebody’s hand. a few minutes daily spent on upkeep and organization will reward you with hours spent on more enjoyable tasks. But if you look at this upkeep as the enemy, you will probably never do it.
Spend a few minutes reflecting on how much time you waste ONLY because your surroundings are disheveled and messy. Begin today to tackle the most important area in your own home. Think about the one area that would give you peace of mind if it were clean, uncluttered, and inviting. Start there. Once it is straightened, spend 10 - 15 minutes a day keeping it that way, and move on to space #2.
