Resolved!

I have approached new years resolutions in many different ways.  I think they are always a good thing. For me, goals keep me driven.  Even if I don't get them perfectly, I am still improving overall...however painfully slow. 

I was so inspired my my cute sister in law Tammy.  Last year, one of her goals was to read 40 books.  That is no small goal.  She totally did it! Way to go Tammy! So it was this that started the wheels turning.

I thought, what if I made just one really good goal that would really help me improve my life.  So then I had to really think of what that would be. 

That wasn't too hard though.  I am admittedly a terrible housekeeper.  My family and friends all know it, and I am pretty sure anyone who reads my blog knows it.  I have wanted to change this in myself pretty much since I was 14 with a messy bedroom. 

I know we all have strengths and faults, and I am grateful for both.  I like who I am, but that is one area that has just been beyond me for some reason. I have even prayed to help me change. I think in part, I feel as if I have been running a baby marathon for 10ish years now and haven't taken the time to breath.  I just couldn't seem to get a grip on life and then it was baby time again along with the challenges of parenting. Being a mom is all consuming, and I have felt consumed for sure, six times over.

But right now my baby is 16 months old.  Some fog in my brain must be clearing a bit and maybe I am just finally really ready to make a change (even though I have tried and tried).  Or maybe having older kids is starting to help the situation.  

My first plan was for one goal, for one year.  Flylady (a house cleaning schedule website) emphasizes shining your kitchen sink every day.  I tried that.  It just didn't do it for me. I needed to make one change that would give me a big motivational impact in life.  For her it was with the kitchen sink.  What was my kitchen sink? 

I decided the one thing that would make a huge difference in our home life would be to keep the floors in the main areas of the house picked up and clean.  Meaning picking up throughout the day and a thorough sweeping each night.  Messy floors really get to me and ours are always cluttered and crumby. 

That was it. Yep.  But I kept thinking about it.  I saw a flaw.  If I am really going to make a change by adding this habit into my life, I was going to have to give up a bad habit to make room for the new one.  That was also easy to figure out.  Definitely the computer.  The Internet sucks my life away like those monster thingies in Harry Potter.  It's my drug of choice.  Sad but true. 

So out with the old (computer time), in with the new (clean floors)!

My rules for the computer are pretty simple.  No usage until the kids go to bed at night and the floors are swept.  Period.  My only exception is onling banking.  That is not a preferred activity anyway, so it isn't a real big temptation, but definitely needs to be done.  Other than that, there aren't too many things that can't just wait until 8pm. 

But I still wasn't done thinking about all this.  I thought, well, if being a better housekeeper is my one goal, what if I add a little bit to it each month.  If it takes 28 days to make a habit, that seems logical.  Especially if I am rocking the one I am on and really ready to change.  That would be like 12 new housekeeping habits in a year.  Yes, I think I could do that. So I made a list of 11 habits total to build on.  The last one will be to solidify and soak up my awesomeness.

Finally, a reward to keep up the motivation.  Like a really good one.  And fitting to the goal.  Since my floors are my new baby, I think a refinish would be very appropriate. And oh so rewarding! We have not had a new coat of finish since we put them in 8 years ago. Plus we rented our house to pet owners for 2 1/2 years. Think 2 BIG dogs, a small dog and a few cats.  I cried when I saw my beautiful floors full of hairline scratches and overall worn looking.  Plus we have been really (REALLY) hard on them since then too.  OOOh...pretty...shiny...floors...  Oh hi, sorry.

So, Day 6 has ended, the floors are swept, the kids are in bed, and I am having computer time.  ahhhh so happy.  What has really blown me away is how NOT hard it has been.  I am not sure why it was so hard all the other times I have tried, but I've totally got this.  A little pick up here, a reminder there, a death threat to a family member now and then and we are golden. Plus, a few minutes of sweeping before I wind down. 

Um, this really isn't a big deal! What has been my problem my whole life? It is so much better than letting the floors get really messy and dreading the big clean up. I wake up so much happier and it has only been 6 days!  It feels like much longer than that.  I know it sounds crazy, but I already feel like I am forgetting that girl with the messy floors (squeal!). Internet withdrawls have been a bit weird, but not bad either.  Just some reprogramming going on.  Maybe the Lord has heard my prayers and my burdens are becoming light.

The thing about making some good change in your life is that it begats more change.  I am feeling so many great changes coming.  I guess that means that really I do have many New Years resolutions on the table. Just pull out last years and copy/paste.  But as long as I stick with this main goal for a whole year, I will be more than happy with myself.  And I really will!

I will let you know how it goes. Here's to 2013!

The Year of Change
(Some of these are more of a "personal housekeeping" nature)
In no particular order: 
 1. Keep floors clean/No computer during day
2. Keep laundry clean and put away
3. Quick clean bathrooms every day.
4. Keep counters and tables wiped off.
5. Get myself dressed and ready every morning. 
6. Get all kids dresssed and ready every morning. 
7. Keep van clean.
8. Start a personal night time routine.
9. Keep bedroom clean.
10. Keep toy room picked up.
11. Keep kids rooms clean.
12. Bask in awesomeness.