I have always been rather OCD about certain things. But, the older I have gotten (and especially now that I'm paying the bills) the more things I obsess about. Michael is constantly telling me, "Jamie, we have to live in our house too!". Usually he says that after I have scolded him for leaving the iron and ironing board out longer than I would have liked...by the way, in our next house (which we will have to build because I have too many specific criteria) we will have a fold out, full size ironing board in our laundry room that can easily be used and then quickly put away. Anyway, my anal tendencies have been an area of my life that has caused me lots of unnecessary stress, and there were certain points where it definitely became unhealthy.
Well, this weekend I was sick (strep throat to be exact) and I did not work Saturday and Sunday as scheduled. I laid in the bed all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday, but by late Sunday afternoon the walls seemed to be closing in on me. I was feeling somewhat better and very well rested (which is quite unusual for someone who works the crazy hours of a health care provider) so I decided that I would work on some of my "Organized in 2010" goals. This is something that I established for myself. It started out as a folder on my desktop where I would store certain documents that I had typed (such as 2010's Christmas Gifts To Buy - which has been there since January 2010!!), pictures of home decor and organizational ideas, etc. But, I have recently discovered Flylady. Although this site tends to be more appropriate for a stay-at-home-mom it is such a wonderful site to help someone start to get control of their chaos - whether it be true physical clutter or a mental obstacle that your house is always messy when it truly isn't (ME!!).
So, I downloaded all of Flylady's documents and adapted them to meet our household routine and needs including: a morning routine, a before bed routine, a basic plan for my short week at work, a basic plan for my long week at work, and her zones for the month of July. I took it a step further by creating my own documents on weekly meal planning, weekly grocery list, weekly cleaning, master to-do list, and all of my go-to dinner, lunch, and favorite snack recipes.
I printed off the appropriate amount of all the documents, stapled, hole punched, sheet protected, divided, etc. where necessary, and ta-dah...
So, now that you know I'm psycho, let me explain. I work long and difficult hours (I know, wah wah wah - there's people that don't have one job much less two, I know, I know) and one of my jobs is quite emotionally draining. So, doing this was absolutely liberating, and it helped me to instantly create an environment of peace in my home. All of the things in this binder were getting done each week, but it was followed by lots of worrying and replaying in my mind if I had finished each task to my standard. Now that they are typed out in simple black and white I can place a simple check mark beside the item when I finish it. It's the absolute best thing I have done since we moved into our house. I truly feel like someone has lifted a 5,000 pound weight off of my chest. I am so happy that I can now focus on the things in my life that really matter, like my Savior who has provided all of these earthly blessings, my precious Babes and the Chaucey Baby. So so so happy...
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
