Just say no to the voice of perfectionism

As I sit here writing this blog, sipping my Vanilla Biscotti coffee in my Seattle Starbucks mug, I feel the voice of perfection creeping in slowly. See, I went to bed last night without completing my before bed routine, and I woke up this morning without jumping into my morning routine.

My routines, thanks to FlyLady, have saved my life. Or at the very least they’ve made my home clean. FlyLady talks quite a bit about perfectionism, and how perfectionism put our homes and lives into a cluttered chaotic state. I completely agree.

Before I ever discovered FlyLady, I knew when I had too much stuff to do, I wouldn’t do it. I’d just let it sit and rot in its own stench (figuratively speaking), until the last minute when I could no longer procrastinate. I was like that in college, I am like that at work, I am like that with diet and exercise, and with cleaning house. I feel, or felt, if I can’t do it all right now, and do it right, I can’t do it.

Well no more! I am an ex-perfectionist right? So this morning, I am setting aside that negative voice, and after I finish my coffee, I am going to dive right in. Here is what I need to do to catch up on my before bed and morning routine:
Make my bed
Swish and Swipe (clean the toilets and counters)
Put out Hot Spots (Make sure my clutter problem areas are clean)
Shine my sink (Load dishwasher, wipe down counters)
Sweep kitchen floor
Reboot Laundry (start, fold or put away laundry)
Zone 1 & 5 challenge (Living room and entry ways)

So, I’ll set my timer and prove to myself that a clean home is only about ½ hour away! Perfectionism tells me it’s about 3 hours away.

About 50 minutes later...

Ok, so my normal routines took me 30 minutes. It probably would have taken me longer had my hubby not folded the laundry for me. The Zone challenge took me about 20 minutes, because I decided to go a little more detailed and sweep off all the walkways in front of my house. It’s just so beautiful outside today.

Nothing is perfect, and that’s the point. However, my house is tidy again and I have a big smile on my face!

For more information on the FlyLady and her free system, go to http://www.flylady.net/