Dear FlyLady,

After working for 40 years in a fast-paced executive office our company was closed unexpectedly.  Forty years in pants suits or skirts matched up with shoes and jewelry was a long time and I was very disciplined and “put together.”

The first day at home, knowing that shuffling around this house was going to be my daily agenda for the rest of my life … was disheartening.  I felt like a bum in slippers and sweats … but after a few days it felt pretty darn good and I deserved a break, right? The manner of dress soon became my routine.

The first winter was extremely long here alone.  My husband worked and I didn’t get dressed into “real” clothes until mid-afternoon when he was due home.   I finally realized that I needed to dress to shoes and in doing so it changed my whole demeanor.

It certainly added to productivity because I could step out onto the cold garage floor with the kitchen trash and I could walk to the mail box without getting my feet wet, and I could stand on a ladder without the bottoms of my feet aching. I am delighted to hear you keep driving this point home to others.  I do believe that dressing to shoes is the key to daily productivity.

Also, I must mention the 15-minute timer.  How can something so absolutely simple enable us to do so much?  Amazing how the timer encourages us.

I am a church musician (pianist, choir director, worship leader / did I say small church?) and as such I have tons of music in this house.  Even in retirement it is difficult to keep it orderly.  You see, each week it is coming out of the file boxes – preludes, offertories, congregational singing … enough copies for six people.  They turn it back in to me, then I take it home and sit it on a chair next to my piano and get on with Sunday dinner.  And so it goes.  There is music upstairs, music downstairs, and on the steps in between.

Your timer enables me to sort for 15 minutes.  File for 15 minutes … and often times I continue on because of the great progress in the first 15 minutes. Thank you for constantly reminding us about the timer.  My DH thought it was nuts.  (He is now retired.)  He’d say, “Just do it.  Who needs a timer?”  Now he says, “Why don’t you set your timer and tackle such-and-such for 15 minutes.”

Thanks for helping keep my life on track.

Lynn in Southeast OH

FlyLady Rebecca here: Do you have a shoe Testimonial? Let us know, and send an email with I HAVE MY SHOES ON in the subject line.

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