I have wandered down this path many times before. Every time, I have retreated in fear of...what? Success? Cleanliness? Order? Discipline?
Ah, discipline. That's probably it. But perhaps it wasn't fear of discipline so much as plain old lack of self-control.
I am usually way too easy on myself. Very sympathetic with my struggles. Very understanding and forgiving if I don't feel "up to" doing any given task. After all, I tell myself kindly, you have a lot of children and you don't get enough sleep. And sometimes, your head hurts. Or you feel kind of dizzy. Or you're really stressed out.
See? I'm full of excuses for myself.
However, after doing some investigation, I've decided that this is not what God wants for me. I am a wife, a mother, a teacher, and a keeper of our home. High orders that call for discipline, endurance, and energy. Whatever else God has planned for my life, these things are not to be neglected. Which is why I'm so glad to be on this journey with someone (thank you again, Sarah Mae) who will tell me what to do for a month. I really need that accountability...that direction...that bossiness. I'm hoping that after 31 Days of following directions I will be able to continue on, fueled by consistency and good results. And hopefully my heart will have received the boost of motivation that comes from the "Mary Challenges" the book offers.
I'm still kinda nervous though, because I've already cheated by cleaning my kitchen the day before the challenge began, so I knew it would get done. I'm much more a "clean it in a whirlwind before company comes" kind of gal. Everyday maintenance has always been my failing point. Even in school, I was a "write the whole paper the night before it's due" kind of gal. Just ask my mom. So I find myself wondering--Am I doomed??
*calming breaths*
Just taking it one day at a time. I'm even trying to not read ahead in the book so I don't try to do in a week what is supposed to take a month. I'm committing to not fizzle. Start strong, stay strong. Slow and steady, people. Slow and steady.
(Photo attributed to ahannon1)
One final issue I'm tackling today is my extreme dislike of putting away folded laundry. And my extreme extreme dislike of hanging clean clothes. Sarah Mae addresses this as well. In fact, based on what she's written, I'm pretty sure she has hidden cameras in my home. She encourages us to not go onto another load of laundry until we've fold AND PUT AWAY the one we've just done. I've tried to do this before, but it never lasts because I'm not disciplined. Because I'm lazy. (THERE, I SAID IT!!) But I tried something new yesterday: I kept a pile of hangers next to my clean laundry basket and stuck the hang-up clothes right on them as I found them. When I was done, they were all ready to be hung. I loved sliding them effortlessly into the closet. If you struggle as I do, you should give it a try.
Well, as fascinating as my house-cleaning sagas are, I think I'll bring this post to a close.
"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes." ~Agatha Christie
"We labor to make a house a home, then every time we're expecting visitors, we rush to turn it back into a house." ~Robert Brault
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