"Pick up these shoes!" "Have you seen my biology report?" "Why is this house always a mess?" A clean room in a clean home is something that is often required of us all. Whether you're a college student sleeping in a pigsty, a working parent stepping on toys, or anywhere in between, you know how hectic life can be. A busy week leads to clothes being tossed in a pile on the bed and a mountain of dishes stacked in a sink. When the next week is just as chaotic, you find yourself only washing what needs to be used that day. The pile of clothes extends to the floor and the dishes overflow onto the counter. Maybe you go to class all day with a thriving GPA. Maybe you work a job that requires you to hold several responsibilities. Perhaps you raise a family---or all of the above. Wives are often pressured by husbands (or vice versa) to maintain a beautiful home like those out of Southern Living or Better Homes and Garden magazines. How is it possible to remain so organized and put together in one field, but a total slob at home?
Life is crazy!
You don't need me to tell you how fast time can get ahead of you. When we put the majority of our time and focus into one area, we naturally neglect another. I have found that my surroundings are a direct representation of my mindset. The busier I get, the more stress I feel. In result, I get messier and messier at home in order to channel every ounce of organization into my school work and job.
Pick your battles.
You have papers to write and classes to attend. Maybe you have five meetings to make and three reports that have to be on your boss' desk by the end of the day. Perhaps you have diapers to change, a field trip to chaperone, and teacher conferences to set up. The necessities of eating, showering, and sleeping come next. It's near midnight and you are exhausted. I'm sure cleaning is the furthest thing from your mind. However, the dishes you didn't wash will multiply tomorrow. The load of laundry will become two loads. Your desk and kitchen table will disappear under the stacks of papers and unpaid bills. Your life is stressful enough. Don't add to the burden by coming home to a mess. Push through your exhaustion. Does everything have to be color-coded, labeled, and tucked out of sight? No. Organize your mess. Stack the kids' toys up neatly in a basket. Make use of your dishwasher (out of sight, out of mind). Do your homework or pay your bills in sections, focusing on what is due first. Take it one step at a time.
Change your mindset.
When you walk in after a hard day, don't beat yourself up (or your spouse) about how the house looks. Gently remind yourself that it is simply a reflection of how focused your life is. You don't have time to scrub everything clean because you're running a business, you're catching up with friends, or you're making ends meet. An organized schedule of a dysfunctional day is completely normal. Focus on what matters. The cleaning will get done. Don't let it distract or keep you from the things that matter.
Life is not about white carpeted floors. It is about successes and failures, relationships and friendships, and passions and dreams. Life is messy, but you somehow manage to keep it under control on a daily basis. Who cares if the same cannot be said about your home. Make it comfortable, not spotless. You want some of the details of your journey displayed. Hang up the pictures and artwork you like. Put your kids' drawings on the refrigerator. Show off your book collection. These things are not junk that belong somewhere hidden. They are pieces of you. Organize your day and your goals for the future. Clean up your mistakes and your friendships. Polish your work ethic and attitude. Let the little things be sloppy. Life is too short to be cleaning in the wrong places.
