SPARK #6: The Evil Fourth Step

Check out this bright red Sea Star watercolor by giardino. Reminds me of dreaming ... which I need to do. 'Night.

Today I was people watching (unintentionally--I am tired) and I saw two girls walking arm in arm. They were taking three steps forward, followed by one step backward.

The game went on for quite some time before it occurred to me:

Even though the girls experienced a setback in their progress every fourth step, they still moved forward.

And then the wheels started turning.

Home management
Motherhood
Friendship
Sisterhood
Marriage
Employment

In each of these opportunities--as well as scores more--there are seasons of shortcoming. It's just the way it is. Humanity always wins in the battle against perfection. But instead of beating myself up about that frustrating fourth step, I've got to focus on moving forward. Giving up and sitting on a park bench isn't going to allow me to experience those other three (glorious!) steps that move me in the right direction.

Which brings us to this:

SPARK #6: What is a challenge in your life that really pushes you to your limits? Perhaps this is a goal you have achieved. Perhaps this is a goal you still need to achieve.

Guilty As Charged

Photo by Leshaines123

There's no doubt about it.

One of my co-workers asked me if I enjoyed home management. I don't know if I gave myself away because of the pile of home management magazines piled on my desk or if it was because my face lit up when she mentioned her recent success with a magic eraser. Either way. When I told her that, yes, I love home management and taking care of my family, she asked me point blank what there is to love about home organization.

(I think she then complained about her sock drawer.)

It occurred to me with a sort of clarity that organization--specifically as it relates to the home--is more than just decorating, dusting, or de-cluttering. (Even though I will not disparage those necessary tasks!) Home management is about establishing and maintaining a space whereby you and your family can achieve your goals. It's more than measuring laundry soap or clipping coupons.

You clean the sheets in hopes of a better night's rest. You clean the kitchen in hopes of healthy food preparation. You dust in hopes of healthy immune systems.

So the more time we spend improving our home management skills, the closer we get to meeting the goals we have for our lives. It's that simple. And it's that important!

Dear House Honcho

Photo by Darwin Bell

Dear HouseHoncho,

I have 3 questions for you that I'm hoping you'll answer for me. One is, how do you get hairspray off of the bathroom door? I have daughters. Enough said. Two, I really struggle with not wanting to clean up every room every day. But I don't have time to clean up every room every day. So something has to give. I am too busy to clean every room every day, but it's hard to know where to draw the line. Finally, can you tell us an embarassing story about yourself? You are obviously very put together.

Jeanie
West Virginia


Dear Jeanie from West Virginia,

I will answer your questions in the order you asked them. First, I get hairspray off of my bathroom door using rubbing alcohol. I take a torn up T-shirt or old sock, dip it in the alcohol, and gently work the "gunk" off the door. It really is amazing--looking at the balled up goo on the door--that we put that stuff on our hair. Almost makes me want to shave my head. Almost.

Next answer. I always advise setting goals, reaching them, and stopping for the day. Now, obviously, if a vase breaks in the kitchen, it needs to be tidied--even if it's Monday and isn't the day you typically clean your kitchen. If toys have exploded all over the living room floor, they need to be put away. But if you have pressing responsibilities that don't enable you to fully clean every room the way you'd like to every day, just maintain a faithful routine and know that you will complete the tasks each week at an assigned time. Manage your home. Don't allow your home to manage you.

Finally, I have more embarassing stories than Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. If you think I have "arrived," (whatever that means), rest assured, I have not. One afternoon, I was running on a treadmill in the gym attached to our apartment. My back was to the door and I was watching Oprah explain personal safety tips. All of a sudden, I heard the door open and close behind me, and a few seconds later, a man's voice spoke--"Stop what you're doing and listen to me." I totally panicked. Thankfully, I had Oprah on the flat screen above my head telling me how to protect myself. I shut the treadmill off and turned around to face my would-be attacker.

And I saw he was talking on his cell phone.

Keep it simple!
HouseHoncho

The Sands of Time

Photo by TinyApartmentCrafts

So another week has come and gone.

One of the things I consistently hear my friends say is how fast time flies. And--while it feels like the days are here and gone in the blink of an eye--the truth is, they're no faster today than they ever have been or ever will be. In reality, we've filled them so full it's hard to know what day it is.

In today's blog post, I challenge you to consider setting weekly goals for your home. Not major, earthshattering--write a novel or train a horse--type of goals. But the type of goals that will make Fridays a day for recognizing the things that have been accomplished during the week. Without taking inventory of what we have completed, it's hard to feel like time ISN'T passing us by.

Consider the following:

1. Find a place to record your goals for the week. You can do this on your computer, in a journal, on the back of a grocery list. Just make sure you put something in writing.

2. Set realistic goals. If you have a household full of children, setting a goal of reading the phone book next week probably won't be beneficial to you. Be realistic about what you can and should accomplish.

3. Determine your reward, (for accomplishing your goals), ahead of time. And in case you're wondering, the reward doesn't have to be about money. Alone time, for some, is a treat well-deserved.

Next Friday, you'll be amazed what you've accomplished if you take the steps to set your goals. Feel free to drop me a note and let me know if you finish your list!