Finally, I am starting to feel better. I spent a good part of late last week and the weekend with a stuffed up chest and many sneezing fits. I hate being sick. One thing I did discover while confined to my computer was a treasure trove of photos I took over 10 years ago. They were saved to an old external hard drive. Enjoy! – Cindy
Do you have a fine mess?
To create a fine fire, you need three things – fuel, oxygen, and a source of ignition – a spark.
To create a fine mess, you need three things – clutter, a dirty layer (this can be dust, hair, sand, grit, grease, etc), and a lack of oomph.
Let’s take a closer look at this.
1) Clutter – this is the “stuff” without a home. It’s the boxes of memories, the piles of achievements, the future projects, the just in cases, the I-don’t-know-where-I-put-its, the tripping hazards, the shopping treasures, the garage sale finds, the donations, the papers, the outdated, the worn out, the duplicates and triplicates, the wrong sizes, the broken and the “it still works”, the books that haven’t been read, the paintings that haven’t been painted, and my favorite, the “I-have-to-sort-it-still” clutter. Fortunately, it can be conquered.
2) A “layer” – this is a nasty beast. If you allow enough pet hair, enough food droppings, enough kitchen grease, enough dust, and enough dirt to collect on the floors, on the dresser, in the bed, in the kitchen, by the bathroom, etc – then you have truly allowed a fine mess into your home. And this fine mess is so bad for your health. You breathe it, you touch it, you eat it, and you live in it. Fortunately, it can be fixed.
3) A lack of oomph. This is where you are used your fine mess. Perhaps you don’t even see it anymore. Fatigue has hit you. You don’t know where to start. You can’t do it alone. There is no energy. There is no oomph. Blah. Been there, done that too! Fortunately, one can usually find enough oomph to start (if not, then please talk to your doctor – you need that energy).
To get rid of a fine mess you also need three things:
1) Patience – it can’t be tackled all in one go – DO a little bit each day,
2) Stubbornness – this is a good kind of stubborn. It’s the kind that says you’ve had enough and you want your fine mess gone.
3) Celebrations. For every thing you put into a home, for every thing you get rid of, for every space you create, and for every time your vacuum, mop, pail, and cleaning rag gets action – you celebrate! Be proud of yourself. This isn’t an easy thing.
This week, we’re tackling the front of our homes – the outside and the front entrance way. It’s a great starting point. Just being outside is guaranteed to give you a little oomph. This is your opportunity to conquer it a little piece at a time. Our tackle a pile Tuesday challenge was to get rid of any trash, recycle, and borrowed objects that don’t belong on the steps, the porch, or at the front of your home. This is the “clutter” portion of a fine mess. Grab one piece of unwanted clutter and get rid of it. Then grab another. By the third item, you may be feeling a little more spark of oomph. Go for another few minutes. Clear one small area. Make it yours. Make it clutter-free. You may discover that you have to keep returning to this spot for a few days before you get all the clutter out. No problem – it isn’t a race.
Celebrate space – not stuff!
Now, before you lose the oomph, grab a glass of water. Have you had anything to eat lately? Have a snack. Keep your energy up. Once you have cleared your spot of space, then take a few more minutes to actually toss the trash, deliver the recycle, and return the items to your neighbors etc. There is no point in piling one mess into a new mess to DO later. Get that one spot completely de-cluttered. When you look at it, it should only have the things you want – the things you need – and the things that make you smile.
Congratulations – even if you only tackled one small pile, that is one less pile than you had before.
Empty space is not a bad thing! It’s contagious.
Take care of you,
Cindy
PS: Before you DO anything else – head out to the front of your home and get rid of ONE item that doesn’t belong. It it is trash, then out it goes. If it belongs in the garage, then put it away. If you are supposed to deliver it, then out you go! ONE item. Go!
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