Waou! Deborah! I am a cleaning, organising freak. But I am so totally finding myself in your attitude, feelings of running all the time and the absolute necessity to stop and breath. My friend, you are not alone! No kidding!! I hear you!!! Even if our respective paths are not exactly the same, I think you took it one step ahead of me. I mean, I am still dealing of the selfishness aspect even if deep down I perfectly know that if I am happy and balanced with myself, the rest (and I am including husband and kids), will be balanced too….
So, Deborah, just wanted you to be sure that your words are not thrown away into the wind. I am one of those who hear you loud and clear. And even if I am older and therefore should be wiser… (mouhahahaha…just 2 years ok??!!), you are not alone in the boat. Hang in there, we will get through and standing proud.
Deborah
March 31, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Oh, thank you so much for saying that!! I always *think* of myself as organized, but all those tasks just pile up–and the more people in the house, the more I feel like I’m just treading water and not making much progress!! It’s so, so good to know I’m not the only one who feels underwater now and then. Here’s to getting the beds made and the laundry folded!! 🙂
Diana
March 31, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Thank you for posting this! It is all exactly how I have been feeling. I am finding that scheduling even the most mundane tasks is actually leaving me more time to do the things I love – I’m more motivated to do them and more pleasant because I am less stressed. Today I washed, folded and put away the laundry – here’s to finally having clean clothes! Great job – and thanks for putting it all out there, it’s nice to know I am not alone. 😉
Deborah
March 31, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Isn’t it the silliest thing??? It seems so counter-intuitive, but it totally works. Shouldn’t there be, like, a poster of a kitty hanging from a branch telling us that if we just make the bed and do the laundry and keep the dishwasher empty that we’ll have MORE time to do the things we love to do? Sigh. It’s so good to know I’m not in it alone! 🙂
Oh man, everything you just said is so resonating with me! We are really trying to live intentionally and slowly esp with our kids and this is right along those lines! But ugh did you have to encourage me to fold the laundry? 😉 And funnily enough a friend just passed on a copy of the Tightwad Gazette because she thought I would enjoy it.
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 8:09 am
Haha! I really, really love those books–she has tons of charts and graphs and practical advice, but also some really great essays where she talks about WHY they do what they do, and how living frugally is much bigger than just being about money, how it has become a reflection of their worldview and their values. Some really great stuff that has stuck with me for the 20 years since I first read it as a brand-new mom. I love that copies are still out there–I have all three volumes here at our house!
P.S. Go fold the laundry. You’ll thank me later! 🙂
Sabrina B.
April 1, 2014 at 5:09 am
There is some good neuroscience/cognitive science research that shows that making decisions reduces your ability to make other decisions. So, if you spend a lot of time deciding what to wear, for example, it is more difficult to make other, unrelated decisions. (There is a good RadioLab episode on this.) I think that procrastinating is similar because you are always deciding whether or not to do the task until the task is completed. That is one reason routines can be so refreshing. My husband is naturally good at this — I am not so. I hate folding laundry!! Currently living in Spain, where there are no dryers, we hang our laundry to dry around the apartment, so the unfolded laundry is LITERALLY hanging over my head all the time! I think I’ll go fold it now.
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 8:12 am
That is FASCINATING. Seriously. Sometimes research reveals the opposite of what we expect, but so often it hits right on something that common sense dictates, anyway. My gut tells me that this is exactly true: that when I spend all my energy finding matching socks, I SO DON’T CARE about getting any sewing done or writing something for the blog. There just isn’t enough brain space left to make it happen. And when I have a major task hanging over my head (maybe less literally than your laundry!), I will look for ANY distraction to avoid getting started–and then kick myself when I finally complete it and realize how simple it was. I don’t know that there has ever been a study to determine if making the bed in the morning makes one more productive during the day, but it is certainly working for me! (And I feel prettier–there can be no scientific explanation for that, but there it is).
Do they Netflix in Spain?? That’s made ALL the difference for me in getting that laundry folded–I very nearly look forward to it now!
I truly needed to see this today. You have no idea how much. Thank you for speaking to my overwhelmed heart. Now to create a little margin in my world and fold a little laundry too. LOL!
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 9:56 pm
Oh, I’m so glad!! In a lot of ways, this is a purely selfish activity for me, and making the video each month is more an act of accountability than anything else–knowing how many other folks are feeling the same way, and hearing that it was really useful to you absolutely makes my day. PLUS I got two loads folded this evening, and sat down to watch a DVD with my husband!! Good days for everyone. Hope tomorrow finds you with lots of wiggle room! 🙂
Tiphaine
March 31, 2014 at 9:34 pmWaou! Deborah! I am a cleaning, organising freak. But I am so totally finding myself in your attitude, feelings of running all the time and the absolute necessity to stop and breath. My friend, you are not alone! No kidding!! I hear you!!! Even if our respective paths are not exactly the same, I think you took it one step ahead of me. I mean, I am still dealing of the selfishness aspect even if deep down I perfectly know that if I am happy and balanced with myself, the rest (and I am including husband and kids), will be balanced too….
So, Deborah, just wanted you to be sure that your words are not thrown away into the wind. I am one of those who hear you loud and clear. And even if I am older and therefore should be wiser… (mouhahahaha…just 2 years ok??!!), you are not alone in the boat. Hang in there, we will get through and standing proud.
Deborah
March 31, 2014 at 10:02 pmOh, thank you so much for saying that!! I always *think* of myself as organized, but all those tasks just pile up–and the more people in the house, the more I feel like I’m just treading water and not making much progress!! It’s so, so good to know I’m not the only one who feels underwater now and then. Here’s to getting the beds made and the laundry folded!! 🙂
Diana
March 31, 2014 at 9:58 pmThank you for posting this! It is all exactly how I have been feeling. I am finding that scheduling even the most mundane tasks is actually leaving me more time to do the things I love – I’m more motivated to do them and more pleasant because I am less stressed. Today I washed, folded and put away the laundry – here’s to finally having clean clothes! Great job – and thanks for putting it all out there, it’s nice to know I am not alone. 😉
Deborah
March 31, 2014 at 10:05 pmIsn’t it the silliest thing??? It seems so counter-intuitive, but it totally works. Shouldn’t there be, like, a poster of a kitty hanging from a branch telling us that if we just make the bed and do the laundry and keep the dishwasher empty that we’ll have MORE time to do the things we love to do? Sigh. It’s so good to know I’m not in it alone! 🙂
Brooke
March 31, 2014 at 10:28 pmOh man, everything you just said is so resonating with me! We are really trying to live intentionally and slowly esp with our kids and this is right along those lines! But ugh did you have to encourage me to fold the laundry? 😉 And funnily enough a friend just passed on a copy of the Tightwad Gazette because she thought I would enjoy it.
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 8:09 amHaha! I really, really love those books–she has tons of charts and graphs and practical advice, but also some really great essays where she talks about WHY they do what they do, and how living frugally is much bigger than just being about money, how it has become a reflection of their worldview and their values. Some really great stuff that has stuck with me for the 20 years since I first read it as a brand-new mom. I love that copies are still out there–I have all three volumes here at our house!
P.S. Go fold the laundry. You’ll thank me later! 🙂
Sabrina B.
April 1, 2014 at 5:09 amThere is some good neuroscience/cognitive science research that shows that making decisions reduces your ability to make other decisions. So, if you spend a lot of time deciding what to wear, for example, it is more difficult to make other, unrelated decisions. (There is a good RadioLab episode on this.) I think that procrastinating is similar because you are always deciding whether or not to do the task until the task is completed. That is one reason routines can be so refreshing. My husband is naturally good at this — I am not so. I hate folding laundry!! Currently living in Spain, where there are no dryers, we hang our laundry to dry around the apartment, so the unfolded laundry is LITERALLY hanging over my head all the time! I think I’ll go fold it now.
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 8:12 amThat is FASCINATING. Seriously. Sometimes research reveals the opposite of what we expect, but so often it hits right on something that common sense dictates, anyway. My gut tells me that this is exactly true: that when I spend all my energy finding matching socks, I SO DON’T CARE about getting any sewing done or writing something for the blog. There just isn’t enough brain space left to make it happen. And when I have a major task hanging over my head (maybe less literally than your laundry!), I will look for ANY distraction to avoid getting started–and then kick myself when I finally complete it and realize how simple it was. I don’t know that there has ever been a study to determine if making the bed in the morning makes one more productive during the day, but it is certainly working for me! (And I feel prettier–there can be no scientific explanation for that, but there it is).
Do they Netflix in Spain?? That’s made ALL the difference for me in getting that laundry folded–I very nearly look forward to it now!
Mary
April 1, 2014 at 1:49 pmI truly needed to see this today. You have no idea how much. Thank you for speaking to my overwhelmed heart. Now to create a little margin in my world and fold a little laundry too. LOL!
Deborah
April 1, 2014 at 9:56 pmOh, I’m so glad!! In a lot of ways, this is a purely selfish activity for me, and making the video each month is more an act of accountability than anything else–knowing how many other folks are feeling the same way, and hearing that it was really useful to you absolutely makes my day. PLUS I got two loads folded this evening, and sat down to watch a DVD with my husband!! Good days for everyone. Hope tomorrow finds you with lots of wiggle room! 🙂