Update on my goals

About a month ago, I wrote about some goals I wanted to set. My motivation to get each room in order and painted was to tell myself I could get a dog when it was done. Now, I have a dog! So, one might think that my house was clean and my walls were blue, green, and tan. Unfortunately, that's not entirely true. We haven't painted at all since my last post, and I haven't met my goals each day, even recently.

However, I realized when using a dog as a motivator, I made a mistake. "I can get a dog," doesn't keep my house clean. "I have a dog," does.

Here are some things we've learned the hard way to keep out of reach:
-Dexter's underwear
-Dexter's undershirts
-Pajama pants
-Cardigans
-Bras (these are filched from on top of the dresser--they're a great chew toy and worth the effort to get)
-Plastic cups
-Travel mugs
-Pens
-Make-up brushes
-Lip gloss
-Empty food wrappers
-Empty tupperware

One thing we DO try to leave on the floor as a distraction while we're gone is Fitz's kong. This toy is great because it's durable, and you can stuff whatever treats your dog likes best inside. At first, Fitz wasn't very good at getting the fillings out, so he'd lose interest. Then, he got better and was persistent for a really long time. Now, he's really good at getting out the big treats we've been jamming inside, so I think we're going to have to switch to filling it with peanutbutter and smashed treats to make it a little more interesting.

I have improved as a result of setting my goals, however. I (usually) don't wait as long to do the dishes, and I at least have to have few enough dirty dishes to keep out of reach down in the sink. I'm even better about picking things up off the floor and wiping surfaces off since when I cook I always have a wet-nosed helper nearby. I definitely put my clothes in the hamper or closet, especially clothes I want to wear ever again.

I've even started making my bed every day because it's one of Fitz's favorite relaxing spots, and I think that between the sheets is definitely one place I want to avoid massive amounts of puppy hair. Keriann helped me meet my goal of getting each room unpacked and picked up. She coached me as I unpacked in our office, which ended up only taking an hour and a half. If I had known it would be that quick...

My new goals:
1. Do lots of little organization projects around the house so that staying picked up is easier. And so our closet doesn't look like this:2. Post (and follow!) a weekly cleaning list.
3. Paint the rest of the house!

Goals

I really appreciated your advice and encouragement on my Discipline post. It makes me happy to know that even you can be lazy or unskilled or behind in your housekeeping. If you live nearby, you can also probably expect a dinner invitation in the coming months.

With the comfort of company in my imperfection and with the motivation of dinner guests in mind, I've decided to set some goals to develop good housekeeping habits. When you see the simplicity of my goals, you may then be able to imagine what my house usually looks like. I got the idea to set these goals from this blog. It has some interesting tips and advice. The most recent post right now seems a little bit like feel-good inspirational crap to me, but I love the caption underneath the picture: "Get all ninja on your actions." The/A (?) writer on this site suggested developing particular habits by choosing one, posting this goal visibly, and after conquering it for two weeks, move on to the next. I have so many bad housekeeping habits that I felt like I wouldn't make a lot of progress. So, I modified it into my own system. I have one goal for each room, plus a personal goal and a goal for the whole house. They say if you write down your goals, you will more likely achieve them. They also say that if you share your goals with other people, you will be more likely to achieve them. So, here they are, digitally written and shared with you.

Whole House Goal: Paint each room in the house (1 down, 4 to go) and unpack everything.
Motivator: I can get a dog when this is done.

Kitchen Goal: Only take on a non-essential cooking task if there is time to clean up afterward. Always clean up after dinner. If there is not time right after dinner, then dishes must be done before I go to bed. (Ideally, clean these up right away anyway and avoid a cranky, tired husband when I get home.)

Living Room and Office Goal: Dishes must be removed from these rooms and washed immediately.

Bathroom Goal: Buy another spray bottle for my vinegar cleaner to store in the bathroom. Store rags in the bathroom. Store plastic grocery bags here to use as garbage can liners. Touch up the bathroom approximately every other day.

Bedroom Goal: When I change clothes, they must immediately be hung up or folded and put away for rewearing or put into the hamper. "Deciding later" is not allowed.

Personal Goal: Wake up at 5:30 every day.
Motivator: I'm thinking of telling myself I can't do any recreational reading if I sleep in past a certain time, but I'm not sure how effective that will be. Because I can waste a lot of time on things I don't enjoy as well.

Hopefully, I will get these posted and accomplished soon. Then, when you come over for dinner, I won't look as frazzled!

Discipline

One thing I really admire about the women I've met at Mars Hill is that so many of them seem to be these amazing domestic whirlwinds of skill, discipline, and drive. I don't think I've ever walked into any of your homes and thought, "Oh man, what happened here?"

This has, however, lead me down some unhealthy roads of thought. In my head, you, my friend, keep your house organized and spotless all the time. If you have a slob for a husband, you catch his dirty clothes on their way to the floor and they are actually laundered and folded instantly in your hand. If you have a child, after s/he makes a mess, s/he disappears for a few minutes while you clean up the mess and that's why you are have the discipline to get it done right then.

I've been convicted about my discipline lately. Our house is not yet unpacked and gets messy in a heartbeat. I HATE being in cluttered rooms and can't relax when I am in them but I have NO natural instincts that help me keep things picked up. I grew up putting things down next to me when I was done with them, and I would pick them up when I realized that the entire room was a mess. Then, it took me a while to notice and care about the mess. Now, the mess drives me crazy, but I am still the person with empty muffin cups in 3 rooms of her house. I was so excited to have a new coat closet in our new house, but I still throw my coat on a chair half the time. I acutally have to walk farther into my house to do this.

I also have a tendency to pick up and organize every room in my house before I devote too much time to cleaning. This is why I have not vaccuumed our house or cleaned our bathroom in an embarrassing amount of time. So embarrassing, that I am not going to tell you how long.

I recently listened to a sermon about discipline from Mosaic Church. The speaker said something about how discipline is something you usually do alone and it's not usually fun. I've been using the excuse for not waking up early that if Dexter doesn't wake up early it's too hard for me. But, that's a really bad excuse, and I know that the real reason is my own laziness and lack of will power. The fact that Dexter isn't much of an exerciser is also one of my excuses for not exercising. I mean, I don't want to get too fit and fabulous and make him feel bad, right? I kind of think that if I can become disciplined in the areas of waking up and exercising, I can conquer most of the areas in my life because I hate these two so much. However, I think keeping my house in order will be a battle all its own.

I know that some of you (or maybe just one of you) enjoy cleaning your home, and maybe a few more of you are good at it despite not enjoying it. What suggestions do you have for a developing habits that will help me not be a lazy slob? (You may think this language is too harsh toward myself, but really, I can see my house right now and I know that I took a nap on accident during time I set aside to clean today.) I've told myself that not all of you are naturally good and perfect picker-uppers, organizers, and cleaners, otherwise I'd feel extra bad about myself. Have you been transformed by the renewing of your mind in the area of cleaning? Or are you a pillar of will power and cleaning acumen? Either way, if you have tips about keeping your house clutter-free or building your personal discipline, please share!