Things Flylady has taught me

28 March 2008

Chances are you’re familiar with Flylady. Her real name is Marla Cilley, and she has a wildly popular website that helps readers dig out from clutter, establish routines, and stay organized. She does this via the use of copious emails she’ll send out on a daily basis (many times a day) reminding you to do the stuff her program would have you do. For some people, the frequency and number of emails are annoying.

Years I ago, I received those emails. And they were helpful. This was back when I was a freelance writer, so I was at my computer all day, at home. I haven’t actually looked at website in years, but to this day, I employ but some of her basic principles every day.

Here are my top few Flylady principles. If they make some sense to you, I urge you to go check her website (again, that’s flylady.com).

You can do anything for 15 minutes. Flylady is big on the use of the timer. She suggests if you’re having trouble starting a project, just set a timer for 15 minutes and work on it until the timer goes off. You might keep going, you might not. But at the very least, you’ve made progress. I do this all the time, and I urge my clients to do it.

Routines are everything. Thanks to Flylady I have a fabulous morning routine of things I do before I’m even awake enough to think about it. I’m completely on autopilot when I get up, brush my teeth, floss my teeth, wipe down the bathroom fixtures (see below), do my morning weight-lifting routing (don’t be impressed…they’re seven-pound dumbbells and it takes me about 2 minutes), and empty the dishwasher, which is always run before bed. Then I make my coffee and that’s when the day really starts.

Make your bathroom fixtures sparkle. By wiping my bathroom sink and toilet with a Lysol or Clorox wipe every day, my bathroom is always ready to receive guests. Believe me, this didn’t used to be the case. I timed it—it takes me 40 seconds. Thank you, Flylady!

When decluttering, don’t take out more than you can put away in an hour. If you empty a closet or a cupboard to declutter it, you make a huge mess. If you take out more than you have time to put away, your efforts to clean up actually have the opposite effect. When you’re emptying a space for decluttering, think about how much time you have available and don’t overreach.

Every now and then, walk through your house like you’re a realtor. If you look at your home with the eyes of a realtor (or a professional organizer, for that matter), imperfections that were invisible jump out at you. Much of the time, those are easy fixes. Give it a try.

Even if you don’t want to receive Flylady’s bazillion emails a day, reading her website, or her book, Sink Reflections, can give you some great ideas to use on your road to an orderly and peaceful life.

Tagged with: 15 minutes, decluttering, flylady, habits, routines