I have felt for awhile now that many aspects of the FlyLady program can be applied in spiritual ways to those who consider themselves, Neo-Pagans, Kitchen Witches, Hearth Witches, Green Witches, etc. I will be going over some FlyLady basics here in my blog and writing about how they can be seen as a spiritual thing; not just a house-cleaning and organizing thing! If you missed it, check out my post called "FlyLady - Pagan Style; Welcome Letter"
When you start with FlyLady, there are 31 days of "Baby Steps" to help you slowly start to integrate small changes into your daily routines. It's about developing habits and changing your mind-set to a positive one!
BabySteps Day
9
Keep Doing what you have been doing! Our Babysteps are now broken down into Morning & Evening Routines!
Keep Doing what you have been doing! Our Babysteps are now broken down into Morning & Evening Routines!
Morning Routine;
Get dressed To Shoes!
Look at your posted reminders for the day.
Think Positive Thoughts! Check the FlyLady website for reminders, zone mission, motivation, etc.
Get dressed To Shoes!
Look at your posted reminders for the day.
Think Positive Thoughts! Check the FlyLady website for reminders, zone mission, motivation, etc.
Put out your Hot Spots for 2 minutes.
5 Minute Room Rescue.
5 Minute Room Rescue.
Declutter any room for 15 minutes.
Evening Routine;
Make sure your sink is shining!
Make sure your sink is shining!
2 minutes putting out your Hot Spots.
Today we add 15 minutes of de-cluttering to our daily routines. We have already seen how using our timers (or just watching the clock) can help for 2 minutes (Hot Spots) and 5 minutes (Room Rescue). Now we are learning the power of 15 minutes! Having a timer can come in really handy! If you don't have one, it might be a good idea to get one! I tend to use the timer on my kitchen stove, but I have been doing 15 and 30 minute sessions for so long that I pretty much know how long it has been without using a timer now! But a timer is a great tool, especially if you are just getting started!
My message with today's 15 minutes of cleaning is pretty much the same as yesterday's message about 5 minutes of cleaning. Let go of perfectionism! Don't be so hard on yourself! We don't have to finish something in order to get a lot done! 15 minutes of progress is better than nothing at all!
With this Babystep, FlyLady asks us to get rid of clutter in one room for just 15 minutes a day. You can't clean around clutter, and having clutter is just bad feng-shui! You have to love yourself enough to let go the things that no longer serve you or your household. If it's doing nothing more than taking up space, let it go! I know we all have areas in our home that need to be decluttered. And you're thinking, there's no way that just 15 minutes is going to make a dent of a difference in this clutter! That's your perfectionism talking... the part of you visualizing the "end game" and then feeling like you will never get there. It's time to learn to ignore that nagging pessimist of a voice in your head! Keep thinking positive, set your timer for 15 minutes, and start going thru that pile on the desk, that drawer, that cabinet, or wherever it is you decide to focus. Stay focused on ONE area for the full 15 minutes. When your timer goes off, stop. You've done what you came to do. Tomorrow you will do 15 more minutes! You can read FlyLady's advice about Decluttering here, I highly suggest you read this! She explains how to declutter, and some great tools and suggestions for you! Read it!
Also, when you realize the power of 15 minutes, you can apply this to all the rest of your daily cleaning as well! Sometimes I break my cleaning all day into rounds of 15 minutes at a time. Clean for 15 minutes, take a break, then clean for 15 minutes again. Before I know it, I have gotten my main goals for the day all done, plus spent my breaks on facebook or chatting on the phone and don't feel like I spent the whole day cleaning! For example, here is what I got done yesterday! Notice I didn't even start my day until 11 am! I had a lazy morning with a late start, but then using the power of 15 minutes, look what I managed to get done!
Round 1 - 11:00 - 11:15; Got dressed, put my shoes on, made my bed, put up my hair. in small bathroom I picked up laundry, swiped countertop & sink, swished toilet, & emptied trash. Then I went and did the same things in master bathroom - picked up laundry, emptied trash, swished & swiped sink/counter/toilet.
Round 2 - 11:25 - 11:40 - turned on some music. Started a load of laundry in the washer. Hot Spot Firedrill - cleaned the following Hot Spots; Dresser next to my bed, dresser next to bedroom door, Launch Pad, side table in livingroom, next to hubby's chair, bar between kitchen & livingroom, kitchen table.
Round 3 - 12:00 - 12:15 - Cleared kitchen counters, stacked dishes to be washed, filled the sink, washed the cups, swept kitchen floor, put laundry in the dryer.
Round 4 - 12:30 - 12:45 - washed remaining dishes (plates, bowls, silverware), pulled the bratwurst out of the freezer to thaw for dinner, made myself lunch.
12:45 - 2:10 - took a break to eat lunch and write some blog posts!
Round 5 - 2:10 - 2:25 - took laundry out of dryer, sorted another load and started it in the washer, scooped out the cat litter box, took out the trash, replaced liner in trash bin, washed & peeled 5 potatoes to make potato salad for dinner.
Round 6 - 2:30 - 2:45 - chopped the potatoes, bell pepper, onion, and celery for the potato salad. Got the potatoes & onion boiling. switched laundry to the dryer.
After this I went about my day without really timing myself anymore. I used the "15 minute tool" to get things done and stay focused on one area at a time or just keep myself going for the full 15 minutes without getting side tracked. If you just look at my 15's... I did an hour and a half's worth of work, but it didn't feel like work because I had broken it down into 15 minutes at a time!
It's all about staying positive! I could have said to myself; "There is too much to do today, I will never get it done!" and then either spent the whole day in bed, or spend the whole day cleaning and just exhausted myself! But instead I said to myself; "I am so awesome! Look at how much I got done in 15 minutes! I know I can get even more done with another 15 minutes!" The power of 15 minutes can help you on your path of spiritual growth too! Often people feel like they just don't have time to meditate or do yoga, for example. Try doing one of those things for just 15 minutes! Certainly you can carve out 15 minutes to sit quietly and contemplate your altar candle softly glowing. Or just 15 minutes to do 5 to 10 of your favorite yoga poses or favorite yoga sequence! It doesn't have to be perfect, but keep in mind that every little bit, even 15 minutes at a time, is a blessing to your mind, spirit, and body!
No comments:
Post a Comment