More recently, I used the system in Large Family Logistics, and while her system has been a great help to me in the last few years as I've grown into having a larger than average family....I still just felt like it wasn't working for me as well as I'd hoped.
Then something happened that just made things completely clear to me.... I realized I wanted to cultivate relationships, and not "stuff". Stuff in our homes was taking over and wearing us down. We spent all our time cleaning stuff and organizing stuff, and not paying attention to what was really important, when what we really needed to do was GET RID OF OUR STUFF!!!!
So over the last couple of months, we set out to get rid of at least half of our belongings. I honestly didn't think it was possible, but as I got started, it became almost addictive. I really became in tune with what was TRULY important in my life. I want more than anything to live a life wholly devoted to the Lord and realized the way we were living was far from that. Our focus was more on material things, not heavenly things and relationships with people.
A couple months ago, my family had a HUGE yard sale and afterwards took everything, at least 2 van loads, and 3 small truck loads to our local resale shop. Since then, amazingly, I keep seeing MORE STUFF to get rid of, and have taken at least 2 more van loads.
Once the clutter was gone, I really wanted to figure out how to make the most of our lives...There's still cleaning and laundry to do. We are a larger than average homeschooling family of 7. Needless to say...food prep is a multiple times daily occurrence. But I wanted so much to really s-l-o-w down and enjoy the day to day moments of life, and stop letting them just keep rushing past us.
I started really questioning what "system" would work best in our family for maintaining order while still slowing down and enjoying life. And the answer came loud and clear, the same as it did, when I questioned what methods would be best for homeschooling my children, and feeding my family......the most natural method.
Throughout life there is always a sort of cause and effect to life....a natural rhythm to daily living. Bills need to be paid, you earn a paycheck, you pay the bills. I started looking for those natural rhythms throughout our home life, and came up with a few principles and ideas for keeping a clean home.
1. You can NOT organize clutter.
Get serious, and ask yourself what really matters in this life, and then get rid of the stuff that doesn't line up with those beliefs. Keep what you love and use, and get rid of the rest.
2. Put up what you get out.
Really, this is the foundation of keeping your home clean, and the first rule kids need to learn. If you make a mess, clean up your mess before you move on. period.
3. Make it a family affair.
One of my fondest memories as a child was after mealtime was over, watching as all the women, and some of the men, got up, and worked together to clean up the mess that was made from eating. There was no questioning of who's turn it was to do the dishes. No whining. It was just DONE! And not only that but done completely. And even more importantly, the conversations that were had during that time, were always the most precious. The laughter, the camaraderie as people worked together towards a common goal. This goes for the whole home, but is especially fitting after meals.
Get rid of the dishwasher (GASP!) Fill up your sink, and slow down and enjoy the conversations that flow, while just doing the mundane of doing dishes!
4. Follow the natural rhythms of your life.
You get paid on Friday, pay your bills on Friday. The farmer's market is open on Saturday, make that your errand day and get your shopping done. Wash your laundry as it fills up a basket load. See something that is no longer useful or beautiful in your home, keep a bag of go away items handy to fill up, and then load the bag in your car when it's full to take out on errand day. Do you enjoy starting the weekend or the beginning of the week with everything clean and shiny? Make it a point to give the house a thorough dusting, sweeping, and mopping that day. See a mess, clean it up.
5. Make a list.
There may be things that don't just have a natural flow....a cause and effect. Maybe there's things that you see that need to be done, but that you don't have time for right now, or need to remember to do later. Maybe you realize you need to spend some extra time in an area of your home decluttering more, or doing more in depth cleaning, or want to do some sort of home improvement project....make a list of these things. And I have just two words for you.....
Bullet Journal.....This system has honestly been a game changer for me. It has simplified and helped me to grow in ways I never could have imagined. If something pops into my head, such as " I really need to send a card to my Aunt Gracie" or "I need to paint the front door soon.", I can go to my bullet journal and jot it down. If something special in my life happens, such as my baby girl takes her first steps, and I want to remember the moment it happened, I can write it down. If I want to just journal my day and what happened, I can do that. It's a free form, but organized way of dealing with the millions of "open tabs" in your brain....lists of books you want to read, lists of projects you want to complete....it all goes in. I can not tell you how much I LOVE my bullet journal.
And you are not just jotting a random list down somewhere to get lost in the piles...you are putting something in a select place, and dealing with it. Moving it forward or if it's no longer necessary, striking it through. You can make it your own, however it works best for you! Pinterest is a great place to see how others use their bullet journal! It's an amazing tool!!
One thing that I do is under my daily entries, I keep a checklist for dailies- that includes making sure the kitchen gets cleaned a couple times a day, at least one load of laundry is done, and a quick pick up. Then I put under my to do list, stuff that I would normally get done on that specific day, like pay bills on Wednesday, all those regular things that come up in a natural rhythm during the week, and after all my regular to do's, (which is usually only one thing on a few different days of the week), I list 5 other projects I want to work on. This varies from day to day, and is not a commitment to get them all done, nor is it all I may do, just a starting point. If something comes up, and I can only do one thing, I can either move it forward to the next day, or save it for another time. If I have a bigger project that I'm working on, then I only put one little part of it on there. For instance, my homeschooling shelves need to be gone through, decluttered, and organized. It's a large cabinet, so I have on there for tomorrow to only work on one section. My projects may be organizing something, deep cleaning something, or working on a craft, or some other thing I want to take time to work on. How do I choose what to do? Whatever catches my eye or pops into my head or whatever my husband may need me to do. Like I really need to wipe down the washer and dryer and clean the lint trap, or I need to spend some time filing/shredding some papers, or the bathroom cabinets are getting messy, time to get it back in order. So easy and uncomplicated. I don't have to follow a strict to do schedule. I just do the things that I naturally need to do during the week, and then add some things that I feel need to get done and that I have the time and energy for. If I have a day that I am just really not feeling well or low energy, or just want a break, I put some relaxing, fun things on there, like take a bubble bath, read a good book, spend some knitting, etc.
Will this system work for everyone? Of course not, but it has greatly simplified my life and my family's lives! For as long as I can remember, I have been an unorganized, undisciplined, always struggling to just get the basics done, and for the last 3 months since getting rid of SO MUCH STUFF, my life has just slowly fallen into place. My house is clean, school is getting done with my kids, and I have time to spare! I can't wait to post more on the life changing things we have going on here!!!!
Blessings,
sara
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