When I was growing up, I remember my mom being the perfect homemaker. Cooking, dusting, house cleaning – she excelled at it all. We didn’t even have a live-in maid; so I was inclined to believe that homemaking was a piece of cake! Yep – I was sooo naive!!
Eventually, the mess monster took over our home! Our house was overrun with toys, clothes and also some stuff that we didn’t even know we had! Soon, the mess began to get to me.
I’d wake up every morning thinking about the clutter that awaited me in the kitchen – a sink full of dirty dishes, counters that hadn’t been wiped down, toys strewn all over the floor. I dreaded waking up in the mornings! And preparing breakfast was a pain!!
The worst part, however, was not being able to really enjoy time with my little angel. The mess was constantly getting me down. I was constantly stressed out and hardly in a mood to do anything. I dreaded having people over and cringed every time the doorbell rang!
This definitely wasn’t the SAHM that I wanted to be!
And then, one day, something changed.
I started to clean the house, a little bit every day, and I noticed something amazing. I began to feel less stressed out. I felt more energetic than I had in a very long time and I could finally enjoy spending time with my toddler.
These changes were a real eye-opener. I was amazed at the transformations that took place by simply cleaning up the house! And so, I decided to learn and implement all that I could in order to keep the house clean.
I soon realized that having a clean house was not all that difficult – What I needed was a well thought out plan of action and the will-power to stick to it. And I had to get rid of my all or none attitude!!
Soon, everything was under control again.
Yes, my house is not the cleanest home ever and is not perfect. But, it’s much better than what it was before and that is enough. I have learned to set attainable goals that are just good enough, rather than striving for too much of perfection! After all, the world we live in, is itself not perfect; right?! 🙂
Yes, there are still some days and even weeks when life happens and things go haywire. But, now I know exactly what I need to do to get back on track and the benefits of a clean house, that I have experienced, are enough motivation to do that!
Just last week we celebrated my son’s birthday…at home! Had my house still been the mess it used to be, I could never have dreamed of throwing a party at home! It was a small party for his little friends and he was really thrilled to have them over. And, so was I actually.
The most fulfilling thing however, is that I am demonstrating the importance of house cleaning to my little fellow. And that is invaluable.
House cleaning is not a chore anymore. Now, that I have a proper plan in place, it is not at all intimidating. It is a rewarding job and I look forward to reaping those rewards!
I hate to consider this – WHAT IF I HADN’T WORKED ON GETTING MY HOUSE CLEAN?
- What if I had accepted that it just wasn’t possible to have a clean house?
- What if I had felt that it was pointless to clean the house when it was going to get messed up again?
- What if I had never even tried?
I would probably still be living in a messy house, dreading the sound of the doorbell, getting upset over every little mess that my toddler made.
I would be depressed and unhappy, wondering how my friends with sparkling clean homes manage to do it all.
Worst of all, my son would never learn and appreciate the importance of cleaning habits or the value of having a clean house.
And so, starting today, I am going to be blogging about house cleaning. There will be other stuff of course, but more emphasis on house cleaning!
House cleaning requires time, effort and will. It is an exhausting job that can get boring. But there are ways to do it and be successful – by doing it together and making it fun.
That’s why I’m working on 30 Days To A Clean House – A house cleaning challenge for busy homemakers like you and me.
When you sign up for the challenge, you will join a community of people just like you, that will help and motivate you. You will get access to our facebook group where you are connected with fellow challengers from all walks of life. Here you can seek help, advice, ideas or even share your goals, success, opinions etc.
Right now, the idea of cleaning up your house might not appeal to you. But believe me, once you get started and begin to feel the difference, you.will.be.amazed!
If I could do it, so can you!
Now, it’s over to you:
1. What does having A CLEAN HOUSE mean to you?
- A clean, clutter – free house that helps you feel relaxed, happy and comfortable?
- A clean kitchen that makes cooking a breeze?
- Clean, uncluttered floors where your kids can play endlessly?
- A house where bills, keys and other important things never go missing?
- A hospitable house, so you can have guests over anytime?
- Clean and organized cupboards, shelves and cabinets?
2. What difference would having a Clean House make in your life?
- Would you feel less stressed out?
- Would you wake up happy and refreshed?
- Would you be confident enough to have guests over?
Leave your comments below. I read every single one of them!
P.S. If you would like to have a clean house and keep it that way, click here and I can help you.