Before we get started cleaning, I want to give you a little mental preparation before I start ‘coaching’ you to a clean house. I want to stress that you are not to get frustrated in your cleaning venture. I don’t want you rushing around, screaming at your family members like a wild banshee. We’ve all been there and done that. It’s time to put all of that behind us and start living a life that we enjoy.

There’s a saying that I kept in my head when I first began this. It went something like this: ‘When your house is cluttered, your mind is cluttered.’ And, likewise, when your house is clear, your mind is at peace. That saying really hit home with me because my house was to the point that you could not look anywhere without feeling overwhelmed by clutter. My head, also, felt like it was so full of ‘junk’ that I couldn’t even see straight – ok, not really, but you get the idea.

I think it held me back from really enjoying life because I always had this nagging feeling of guilt. I thought that instead of having fun, I should be cleaning – and, I wasn’t … so, I always felt guilty, thus putting me in a bad mood.

And, actually, my house WAS clean … my problem wasn’t with a ‘dirty’ house but more of a ‘crowded’ house. All of the extra ‘stuff’ piled all over – everywhere. So, even though the bathrooms and kitchen were always cleaned, they always looked messy because of the piles of papers or what-nots.

How was my house cleaned if I had piles all over, you ask ??? Easy, I was great at ‘moving’ piles from here to there. I could move the piles from room to room – hiding all of the junk, when needed, and with great effort.

Well, with my cleaning and clearing process, this is not how it works. Once you start cleaning and clearing out your home, your head actually starts to feel less cluttered. and it allows you to find the peace that you need. So, with that in mind, I want you to relax and enjoy your purge process. Do not rush around to the point that you start feeling overwhelmed. Take it slow and make a game out of it.

My philosophy is ‘Do a little each day’ – without burning yourself out or over-extending yourself. In other words, don’t tear apart a room (dump all the drawers out so they can be cleaned) before cleaning it, just to have everything clean, in the end or the only thing that you will accomplish is a much bigger mess!

We’ll take little steps to get each room in order, after that, we’ll tackle some of the tougher jobs in each room (such as the drawers).

My plan of action can be tailored to meet your specific needs. You are free to customize it to whatever works best for you and your family and your home needs … in fact, you are encouraged to tailor it to fit your direct needs. You will reach your goals much quicker (this way) than rushing into something and getting it done, only to let it get back to the point that it was before (out of neglect) again.

As we do this, you will see progress. It will be slow and steady but you will start feeling a sense of accomplishment. However, this is also when it will be the easiest to start slipping back into your old habits … it is VERY IMPORTANT to be aware of this so that you keep up your commitment and get your goals accomplished. A little progress is great, but remember to keep at it!!!

When you start thinking that you’ve got a handle on your house (Finally!), this is when you brain will tell you that you won’t need to do a little TODAY. Your brain will tell you that it’s ok to skip cleaning and clearing for just one day … Let me warn you … One day turns into several days, maybe even a month or two. It is best to do *something* each day, even if you don’t consider it to be anything … JUST DO SOMETHING!

We all have lapses but getting back into the routine, after stopping, is much harder than continuing on with this journey. Please keep that in mind and try to stay focused so that you continue to do a little bit each day.

If you do end up slipping, don’t beat yourself up over it. Everyone does it but it is up to you to pick yourself back up and get yourself back into your routine.

If you need help, remember … I will be here to listen and help coach you, if needed. Even if you just want to vent, scream, or cry, I am here for you. Sometimes it helps just to write down your feelings in an email, even if you don’t send it to anyone. If you want to send it to me, you can. I will read and answer all emails.

We may post your letter, anonymously, so that others can see that they are not alone in their struggle. We’ve all been to the point of frustration so if you are having this crisis, others probably are, too. It will benefit everyone to read about other people’s journey, too. It will help us all come together and if we can stick with it and get through the tough times, then that is what this website is all about. Remember … You are not alone!

Ok … enough said … let’s take a look at our areas to clean …