September 30, 2024
Welcome back, friends! To any new subscribers and readers, I say a hearty “Hello, I’m so glad you’re here!”
Last week I shared a guiding life principle, shared by my mother when I was in 8th grade.
Do the best you can in the amount of time you have.
This week, let’s put some shoes on that truth and “walk around the house” in this wisdom.
Do the best you can...
Often, I don’t do the best I can. I let myself off the hook, advocating for myself because “I’m tired,” or “I just did that task,” or “I simply don’t want to do what should be done.”
When a task needs to be done, I must embrace it. Jump in, feet first. Tackle the task with tenacity. Don’t let that task overcome me; I will overcome it!
Training myself to do what needs to be done with a diligent, persistent attitude is the essence of self-discipline. When I choose to live in a self-disciplined manner, I set my mind to do the next right task, even if it’s not what I want to be doing.
I often ask myself, maybe not in words but in essence, “What needs to be done right now?” In that moment of decision, when I make the right choice, God’s grace begins to flow, and He helps me to accomplish His will, even the mundane home tasks.
For example, say my family just finished dinner. Everyone assisted in their assigned tasks, yet I am left with the rest to clean up. Hubby and kids are outside (thank you, hubby!), and now I stare at a dirty kitchen.
I have a decision: walk away from the kitchen or simply start doing what I should do. When I yield to what is right, God’s grace flows, and before I know it, the kitchen is looking so much better! I often set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and tell myself, “Just work during this time.” The start is hard, but before I know it, most or even all the kitchen is cleaned!
…in the amount of time you have.
In the context of homemaking, setting aside time to work on my home is a top priority and a non-negotiable. Every day I set aside time to work on my home. Some days I have more time than others, but no matter what, I work on my home a little bit each day.
By choosing ahead of time that every day will have some home care involved, I know that I will have margin in my day for taking care of my home. On homeschooling days, the margin is pretty slim for home keeping, but it’s still there nonetheless. I’ve made time for home keeping a non-negotiable in my life, and as a result my home generally stays out of complete disaster status.
Sometimes, in really desperate times, I don’t even have time for concentrated cleaning. I do what I call “drive by” cleaning. As I move about my home, I look for tiny tasks that I can accomplish in small increments like 30 seconds: putting away items from the kitchen table, taking dirty laundry to the laundry area, throwing away trash, and asking children to come pick up their items.
One of my favorite home-keeping tips is to set a timer for 15 minutes and get as much done as I can. I usually do this concept with my children several times a week, and this time doubles as their chore time and also our routine housecleaning.
No matter what stage of life I’m at or what day of the week it is, when I give a little time to my home, the rewards are well worth the effort! When I diligently engage with my home, I am the most satisfied and content with the progress in my home. Happy home-keeping, friends!
-Ashley
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