Shalom's Cottage Home Blog
- © Shalom Schultz
- Rock Island, IL, United States
- Hi, I'm Shalom. Artist, crafter, gardener, flea market enthusiast, bargain hunter, and lover of flavor. Welcome to my journey! shalomschultzdesigns@gmail.com
Visit my Etsy Shop!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Clothes Aren't Going To Fold Themselves
As much as I hate to admit it, I am a chronic procrastinator. Oh, not with the things that really matter, I tell myself every day. I keep a day planner and I make a valiant effort to cross off the most important tasks (such as getting a customer's time-sensitive bridal shower invitation order in the mail) in order of priority. I am on top of my game professionally.
But underneath the glossy cover, I struggle to keep the rest of my life in as good of shape as I do my business. Every day I walk through my house in a state of denial: simply choosing "not to see" the clutter in the living room I started redecorating a month ago, or the stack of dishes teetering precariously in the sink, or the weeds threatening to crowd out the flowers I so lovingly planted, and rummaging through the boxes in the back of the cupboard for something quick to eat instead of just making a list and going to the grocery store.
It's not that I don't care...I just don't have the time to deal with it all at once. At least that's what I tell myself. I'll get to those "less important" tasks...eventually. And I do. But by that time, the To Do list has gotten just that much longer. How to break the cycle?
Today, I read the most inspiring article I've come across in a long time that convicted me to, instead of making excuses for why I "don't have the time" to do a particular thing, just adopt an attitude of FINISHING WHAT I START.
For instance, if I'm going to open the dishwasher to get out a clean spoon, it would be more beneficial in the long run to just take 5 minutes to empty it out and fill it again with dishes needing to be cleaned. There, done!
Or to hang my shirt back up in the closet each night before I go to bed, instead of tossing it over a chair. 30 seconds, max. If not, in no time at all I won't even be able to see the chair, for all the clothes draping off it, much less find a particular item to wear when I'm in a hurry.
I don't expect to become superwoman overnight and having a spotless home is not worth trading my sanity for, but I do believe that I can do better than I have in the past. "Finish what I started", I'm going to keep telling myself. If 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there can take the place of entire days devoted to housework, and give me the satisfaction of a more orderly life, it's certainly worth the effort.
To read the article that inspired my new CAN DO attitude, click here.
But underneath the glossy cover, I struggle to keep the rest of my life in as good of shape as I do my business. Every day I walk through my house in a state of denial: simply choosing "not to see" the clutter in the living room I started redecorating a month ago, or the stack of dishes teetering precariously in the sink, or the weeds threatening to crowd out the flowers I so lovingly planted, and rummaging through the boxes in the back of the cupboard for something quick to eat instead of just making a list and going to the grocery store.
It's not that I don't care...I just don't have the time to deal with it all at once. At least that's what I tell myself. I'll get to those "less important" tasks...eventually. And I do. But by that time, the To Do list has gotten just that much longer. How to break the cycle?
Today, I read the most inspiring article I've come across in a long time that convicted me to, instead of making excuses for why I "don't have the time" to do a particular thing, just adopt an attitude of FINISHING WHAT I START.
For instance, if I'm going to open the dishwasher to get out a clean spoon, it would be more beneficial in the long run to just take 5 minutes to empty it out and fill it again with dishes needing to be cleaned. There, done!
Or to hang my shirt back up in the closet each night before I go to bed, instead of tossing it over a chair. 30 seconds, max. If not, in no time at all I won't even be able to see the chair, for all the clothes draping off it, much less find a particular item to wear when I'm in a hurry.
I don't expect to become superwoman overnight and having a spotless home is not worth trading my sanity for, but I do believe that I can do better than I have in the past. "Finish what I started", I'm going to keep telling myself. If 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there can take the place of entire days devoted to housework, and give me the satisfaction of a more orderly life, it's certainly worth the effort.
To read the article that inspired my new CAN DO attitude, click here.
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