Dear FlyLady,

I have been fluttering for about 6 months. I have kept a  shiny sink, but I have  not been consistent in all of the routines, although I do keep my calendar (LOVE the  FlyLady Calendar!!!) and I do keep my Control Journal handy (Another LOVE IT for the  purchased pages) and I keep it with me wherever I go (Yet another LOVE IT for the Office in a Bag).I was fretting a bit this morning and bemoaning my Flightless state, when the One Minute Kitchen Mission came through. I decided to jump in where I am and do it! I have a bag ready for the local food pantry and tossed some expired items. And then I realized how FEW expired items I had – because I am using the Menu Mailer from the Dinner Diva (LOVE HER!! Thanks for introducing me to Saving Dinner!) and following my shopping list carefully. I was inspired by the discovery that I wasn’t completely flightless.So…I set my timer and spent 15 minutes straightening my kitchen….it only took 5 minutes, so I went on to the bedroom…another 5 minutes, then on to the living/dining rooms and another 5 minutes. In my perfectionist mind, I saw my home as a complete mess. The truth was that I have internalized some routines to the point that I don’t even realize that I am doing them – swishing and swiping, blessing my home with ten minutes in a room, and avoiding allowing clutter to come back into the house.

Even my laundry, which in my imagination had become  Mt. Washmore is, in reality, two loads – one for today and one for tomorrow. What I thought were insurmountable issues in my home were really only a couple of untended hotspots.

Suddenly, I had an idea – I decided to write down in my journal what FLYing strategies I have fully adopted since I found FlyLady – sort of creating a “memorial” of my progress. These habits have developed without my consciously realizing it:

I shine my sink every night
I go to bed at a decent hour so that I get enough sleep.
I have a specific place for putting everything I need to take to work with me the next day.
I get dressed and make my bed every morning as soon as I get up.
I empty the dishwasher first thing every morning and dirty dishes are put there throughout the day.
I swish and swipe each bathroom every day (using a different bathroom each time I need to make a trip)
I have set aside an “Anti-Procrastination Day.”
I have set aside a “Desk Day.”
I have set aside an “Errand Day.”
I have a set time for menu planning, cleaning out the refrigerator, and going to the grocery store; and I only go to the store once a week.
I do not bring things into the house unless I love them and truly have space…or can make space by donating something else.
I typically do laundry three times a week…even in my “flightless” stage, I didn’t get that far behind.
I check my calendar every morning and every night; I write down appointments as soon as they are made. I use the cute stickers to draw attention to important events.
I clean my car and purse out every Friday.
I check for clutter most days.
I am working on getting in 8 glasses of water a day.

After making my list, I realized – this is FLYing! Even if I miss a day of decluttering or doing the laundry or putting out a hot spot – I am FLYing!

Thank you for making my day by reminding me that one minute can make a difference, that I am not behind, and that I can jump in where I am! Right now, I feel like I could conquer the world, one hot spot at time! Armed with my purple rags, my bright red dust mop, my Control Journal, my Office in a Bag, my  purple swisher set, my  FlyLady Calendar, and my Dinner Diva menus, I think I can face down anything that dares cross my path!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
FLYing in Georgia

FlyLady here: I love it when you feel this way!

Routines, Missions, Control Journal and the FlyLady tools help you conquer the world and face down anything that dares cross your path.

The new FlyLady calendars are in the Fly Shop. They go from August 2015 through December 2016.