Peace of Mind Organizing

Things Flylady has taught me

28 March 2008

Chances are you’re familiar with Flylady. Her real name is Marla Cilley, and she has a wildly popular website that helps readers dig out from clutter, establish routines, and stay organized. She does this via the use of copious emails she’ll send out on a daily basis (many times a day) reminding you to do the stuff her program would have you do. For some people, the frequency and number of emails are annoying.

Years I ago, I received those emails. And they were helpful. This was back when I was a freelance writer, so I was at my computer all day, at home. I haven’t actually looked at website in years, but to this day, I employ but some of her basic principles every day.

Here are my top few Flylady principles. If they make some sense to you, I urge you to go check her website (again, that’s flylady.com).

• You can do anything for 15 minutes. Flylady is big on the use of the timer. She suggests if you’re having trouble starting a project, just set a timer for 15 minutes and work on it until the timer goes off. You might keep going, you might not. But at the very least, you’ve made progress. I do this all the time, and I urge my clients to do it.

• Routines are everything. Thanks to Flylady I have a fabulous morning routine of things I do before I’m even awake enough to think about it. I’m completely on autopilot when I get up, brush my teeth, floss my teeth, wipe down the bathroom fixtures (see below), do my morning weight-lifting routing (don’t be impressed…they’re seven-pound dumbbells and it takes me about 2 minutes), and empty the dishwasher, which is always run before bed. Then I make my coffee and that’s when the day really starts.

• Make your bathroom fixtures sparkle. By wiping my bathroom sink and toilet with a Lysol or Clorox wipe every day, my bathroom is always ready to receive guests. Believe me, this didn’t used to be the case. I timed it—it takes me 40 seconds. Thank you, Flylady!

• When decluttering, don’t take out more than you can put away in an hour. If you empty a closet or a cupboard to declutter it, you make a huge mess. If you take out more than you have time to put away, your efforts to clean up actually have the opposite effect. When you’re emptying a space for decluttering, think about how much time you have available and don’t overreach.

• Every now and then, walk through your house like you’re a realtor. If you look at your home with the eyes of a realtor (or a professional organizer, for that matter), imperfections that were invisible jump out at you. Much of the time, those are easy fixes. Give it a try.

Even if you don’t want to receive Flylady’s bazillion emails a day, reading her website, or her book, Sink Reflections, can give you some great ideas to use on your road to an orderly and peaceful life.

Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, flylady, habits, routines

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