Abby finally tries the Flylady

The first time I saw the word "Flylady" was on my friend's refrigerator about 5 or 6 years ago.  I don't remember which quote it was, but I do remember my friend talking about how awesome the Flylady's website was and it changed her life.

So, of course I didn't even look into it.  Picturing a buxom housefly in a blonde wig didn't inspire confidence.  My imagination sometimes works against me.

Off and on through the years I kept hearing about this Flylady and her awesome plan that changed people's lives.

Earlier today in an email from a friend of mine, I received some links to information specifically for pregnant women with ADHD.  Flylady was there, changing people's lives again.  I signed up.
I discovered FLY is an acronym for Finally Loving Yourself.  Nothing to do with insects.  Her site is for people suffering from CHAOS.  Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.  That is so totally my house.

I like that us "Flybabies" (snort, Inorite, but still) start out with baby steps.  After all, our house didn't get this jacked up in one day, I can't possibly fix it in one day.  Tim is on board too, which is exciting.

Baby step one:  Shine my sink.  Done!  Feels pretty good, Flylady.  Yes it does.

Anyone care to join me?  It's free, just how I like it.

Abby's Status Update

I was reading back through previous posts and realized that I make all sorts of plans but don't really say much about how well those plans turn out.  So, here's an update on how I'm doing with all my amazazing plannage.

Music in the morning:  Not really happening.  However, I've gotten much better at getting to work on time.  I'd say I'm at about a 98% success rate.  I'm rather pleased.

Chore List:  That post was from the end of January, and Tim just now put up the white board.  We've been coasting along at our normal pace.  That's definitely something to focus on.

Medication:  I finally hit the perfect dosage, and it's been fabulous.

Project completion:  I'm slowly getting there.  The guilt from looking at all my unfinished crafts has tipped the balance in favor of getting things done.

Research on ADHD:  Nada.

Work:  It's AWESOME.  I'm so productive and getting things done and working on projects and getting noticed (in the good way) and I am SO HAPPY!  The downside is I have a rule about not working at home.  I am breaking that hardcore.

There you have it.

Did I forget anything?

-Abby

Get Angry, then Carry On.

My life is unpredictable, to say the least.  I've been out of commission for a few days, but my family and I are doing better.

I'm sure you have something in your life that throws you for a loop, harshes your mellow, screws up your life plan.  This is how I get back on my feet after life goes all crazycakes.

1.  The crazy happens.
2.  I make it worse.
3.  I feel sorry for myself.
4.  I mope, continuing to feel sorry for myself, deciding that I'm not going to get up at all.  If I do get up, I'm not the least bit productive, spending all my awake time staring at some kind of screen.
5.  After a length of time directly proportional to the severity of the insanity, I get pissed off.  I think, "Are you going to just sit there and be a bum when there's stuff to do?"
6.  I answer myself.  The answer is yes, yes I am going to just sit here.

I'd like to say I meditate, or say the serenity prayer, or give myself a pep talk.  I do none of these things, though I probably should.  Nope, I get mad.  I yell at myself.  If I'm doing well, it's all in my head.  If not, I probably scare the crap out of my husband, my cats, and my neighbors.  Then, I pick something in the house on which to direct my energy and attack it.  While I declare war on dirt, my husband helps when he can, stays out of the way otherwise, and makes sure I remember to eat.  He's really good at that.
Now I'm exhausted, still a bit irritated at myself, but I have really shiny floors.  There is no dust in my living room.  We have shrink wrapped the windows.  After a couple more days I'll have gotten over The Event and can examine things from a calmer distance.  Then I figure out what I can change to avoid the same problem in the future.

The most important part of the entire process happens at the very end.  It's happening as I type this, actually.  I forgive myself.  I have grand plans of perfection and orderliness which don't turn out how I want, and that is ok.  I don't have to be perfect, I only want to do the next right thing.  Now I'm going to admire my sparkly sparkly floors and go to bed.

-Abby

Abby says - TA DA!

The living room is clean, organized, and things are precisely where I want them.  This may not seem like much to most people, but it is nothing less than a miracle for me.  I haven't had a clean and well-organized living room of my own since 2000.  I am NOT kidding.  Technically that doesn't even count because it was a shared living room in a sorority-like situation while I was in college.  There were 16 women keeping it clean.  Well, 15 if I don't include me, which I shouldn't.

How did you do it, Abby?  I'm so glad you asked!  Here is a breakdown of my process.

1.  I set aside a specific time to do it and made sure to not make plans to do other things (which is how I avoid most housework).
2.  I broke the big task into smaller chunks.
3.  I asked for help, specifically from my husband.
4.  We let ourselves take breaks and took turns being the motivator.
5.  We were goofy!  We chased each other with cleaning products.  We danced with mops.  It was fun.  Cleaning was fun?!

We wanted to have it finished yesterday, but plans didn't work out quite how we wanted so we finished it tonight.  That bugged me a bit at first, but then I realized it's perfectly fine.  Our living room was already cleaner than it had been since we moved in last May.

Now two rooms (the other being the kitchen, which is the husband's domain) are just the way we want them!  One more to go and the house will be presentable for the first holiday gathering on Friday.  The first holiday gathering at my house ever.  As in, at any domicile wherein I pay the rent kind of ever.  Let's just day, most of my friends don't know my address because they may show up unexpectedly and kill me via embarrassment of my surroundings.

BEWARE!  Beware, bedroom with your dust bunnies and spare cats, your socks hiding in the darkness.  Be frightened, bathroom of doom.  Cower, ye front room of things-that-have-no-place yet.  I am coming for you, and you shall despair!

Persephone's Constant Companions

First - I will get rid of you guys:

And then, it's just me and you:

Soon.

Within the next year.

All of you will be gone.

It's time to take my life back.

-Seph