Fly Lady & Organization

The subject of FlyLady.com and organization has come about because I'm expecting company in early November. My youngest daughter, Donna, and her husband, Ron, along with one of my grandchildren, Abbie, are coming for a couple of months! Yes...MONTHS...maybe even 3 months! Donna's husband is going to train to take out dents with my son-in-law, Steve. It's a new vocation for Ron, but he's been working with cars in some capacity all his life, so this should be a good fit. That will be the first order of business--to see if Ron and Steve think this will suit both of them. But, naturally, I'm thinking of all the things that need to be done before November 10. A little overwhelming, but I'm going to think of it as a good thing to have the house more organized. And after all, if I don't get everything done, it won't matter.

I thought I'd give you Flylady's 11 Commandments first, with a little explanation. You can go to her website or find her whole history on Wikipedia. By giving you this information, I get some incentive to get started on the house, and you learn a little bit about Flylady.

FlyLady's Eleven Commandments

1. Keep your sink clean and shiny.

Your first task is to "Go shine your sink!" By keeping your sink clear of dishes and keeping it shiny, the entire kitchen looks more appealing. Each room has its own "shiny sink"...so making the bed in your bedroom or clearing the desk in your office will have the same effect. Encouragement galore!

2. Get dressed every morning, even if you don't feel like it. Don't forget your lace-up shoes.

This is to get your ready for the day and has an effect on your mental attitude about getting busy. Do your hair and make-up and you're ready for anything!

3. Do your morning and before bedtime routine every day.

Basically laying out your clothes for the next day, along with preparations for bed.

4. Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by the computer.

Hmmm...a tough one.

5. Pick up after yourself. If you get it out, put it away.

6. Don't try to do two projects at once. ONE JOB AT A TIME.

7. Don't pull out more than you can put back in one hour.

FlyLady says you can do anything for 15 minutes, so be careful about your enthusiasm.

8. Do something for yourself every day, maybe every morning and night.

Flylady has a list of suggestions that are simple and doable: soaking in the tub, chocolate...

9. Work as fast as you can to get the job done. This will give you more time to play later.

Focus, focus, focus!

10. Smile even when you don't feel like it. It is contagious. Make your mind up to be happy and you will be. Now that's a happy thought.

11. Don't forget to laugh every day. Pamper yourself, you deserve it.

Another happy thought.

These 11 commandments won't give you the information you need to declutter and get your house and yourself organized, but it's a start toward having a better life. And if you go to FlyLady.com, you simply start with Baby Steps--one new thing at a time--which are a series of 31 small daily tasks which introduce and reinforce aspects of cleaning and decluttering, which then build into a daily routine. Tasks are split into morning, after-work and bedtime routines. It helps me to read through some of the information to allow it to come to the surface when I need it. At just the right time, you'll remember such adages as "Clutter cannot be organized"...or..."You can do anything for 15 minutes"...or even "Shine your sink!"

I almost forgot a very important point: Perfectionism leads to Procrastination. I know this may not sound like you, but it could be true. Think about it...you won't start a task if you think you don't have time or ability to do it perfectly. But if you give that idea up and tell yourself that your family will be happier if you get things done imperfectly rather than not at all, the whole organizational theme will begin to work for you in more ways than you could have imagined!  

It sounds involved, and in a way, it is. But that's because FlyLady has broken down all the chores and responsibilities you have in your life into manageable parts. But you begin slowly. Now as I was looking for a picture of FlyLady to put on my blog, I saw a link to someone who wanted a gentler way to deal with housework. And if that's you, there are other sites which offer help...I just happened to find this one and like it. I signed up for an email each day to remind me what we're all doing, and if you prefer, there is a toolbar you can download and click on every day. I struggle with all of this, which is why I looked up an organizational site in the first place. But there's always hope for a better way to get things done and a good attitude goes a long way!

Have a wonderful weekend and thank your Creator for the blessings of a family and home to take care of by doing it well.

Blessings...Mimi