Clean all the things?

This was me just over a week ago:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

I was on a spring cleaning spree, determined to get our home completely clean and uncluttered.

This is me now:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

My energy levels are depleted, and I seem to have reached the point where everything I need to do is dependent on getting something else done first.  It's all intertwined.  I want to get everything done NOW but I don't know where to start.  It's very frustrating.

But I am not admitting defeat.  I've still got two months of spring to achieve my spring cleaning goal.  I will earn my trophy of adult responsibility!

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

 

 And I'll never let it go!

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

 

In the meantime, here's some more motivation I just found:

http://greenpop.tumblr.com/post/5006232853

I don't like housework, but I do love that feeling of relaxing in a clean house!  The last project on my list is to clean up our balcony - sweep up all the leaves, get rid of the dead plants, clean the plastic chairs.  When that's done, I plan to sit out there on a lovely warm evening (daylight savings is starting soon, after all!), with my bird pattering around at me feet (he needs a place to wander around, and he can't fly away, since he's missing half a wing - poor birdy) and enjoy some Bulmer's cider that I've had in the fridge since last summer.  Can't wait!

Clean all the things!

Last year there was a particularly profound post on Hyperbole and a Half to which I could relate entirely (except for the swearing and the surfing of the internet at 3:17am.  I need my sleep.)  I would love to have my life completely ordered - to keep my inbox clear (and actually reply to emails before a month or two has elapsed), to stay on top of paperwork and various errands, to be productive with my academic work and to keep my home clean and tidy.  Like Allie from Hyperbole and a Half, I write up schedules and make resolutions, but it never lasts.

When I first got married and we moved into our rented unit, I was enjoying the domesticity.  I do appreciate a clean home, and at first I didn't mind the housework.  But I still remember clearly the moment I realised that the housework was never going to end, and that every week for the rest of my life, I would have to clean the bathroom, dust and vacuum, wash the floors...  It was a little depressing, and made me feel tired just thinking about it.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

Fast forward three years: we're in our own unit.  Generally, we keep the place pretty clean and tidy, but there are many things that have been bothering me for a very long time.  These things are beyond the scope of the standard house cleaning procedure, and require extra energy and motivation.  For example:

• window frames that probably haven't been cleaned since this place was built 30 years ago and are caked with dirt that can't be removed without vigorous application of a toothbrush
• a wardrobe stuffed with clothes I don't wear but might one day
• tchotchkes cluttering bookshelves
• books that aren't arranged by genre, author and year of publication
• scuff marks on walls
• dust bunnies behind furniture
• windows so dirty you can hardly see through them (cleaning windows on the 3rd floor is not easy...)
• overflowing filing cabinet
• plastic crates full of thesis drafts and random papers

On Friday of last week, I was sitting on the lounge after lunch trying to find the motivation to give the house a basic clean, after which I was going to get out my sewing machine and have some fun.  Once I got started, however, I just couldn't stop.  I just kept finding more and more things to clean.  The mirrors in the bedroom are a bit smudgy - better give those a clean.  Since I've got these glass/mirror cleaning cloths out, I may as well clean the windows too.  And while I'm cleaning the glass, wouldn't this be a good opportunity to finally get rid of all that caked-on dirt along the bottom of the window frame?  I'm vacuuming, so I should move all the furniture and get rid of the dust that's collected behind.  But the chest of drawers is too heavy to move with the drawers still in, and if I'm taking them out, I may as well tidy those too.

It seems I've caught spring cleaning fever and I'm not going to stop until our entire home is uncluttered and cleaned thoroughly from top to bottom.  Matt didn't realise just how serious I was about the "thoroughly from top to bottom" clause until he emerged from the bedroom after sleeping in on Saturday morning to find me dusting his collection of role-playing character models with a toothbrush.

So, this is me at the moment:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

The sewing machine is still in the study, and I've only cleaned the bedroom and living room so far.  That's ok.  I'm looking forward to having a perfectly clean and ordered home.  I just hope the spring cleaning fever lasts until all the things are clean!

Resolutions and good habits

In my first post of the year, I said that I decided not to make New Year's resolutions because I never keep them anyway.  It's a good thing I didn't resolve to blog every day, because I would have already failed that!  Instead of resolutions (and in addition to my 30 things) I am trying to cultivate certain good habits.  For a change, I'm being somewhat sensible.  I'm not trying to overhaul my entire life in one go.  I didn't expect that this year, finally, everything would change on January 1.  Rather, I'm giving myself one or two habits to work on each week.  Since I believe that the right stationery makes everything easy (well, not really, but sometimes I shop that way) I've armed myself with a Kikki K weekly habits pad.  Each page provides room to list the habits I'm focusing on, boxes to tick each day, and a reward to work towards. 

Photo from kikki k

Last week, the first full week of the year, I was working on developing habits of reading the Bible and doing the dishes every day.  So far, so good, although I did have to do four days worth of Bible reading on Tuesday.  This week I'm aiming to exercise and make the bed every day.  So far, so good, but it's only Monday!  That's still more success than I've ever had with resolutions.