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Sometimes life as an almost-41-year-old, Hashimoto’s-having, no-sleep-getting (my fault), business-owning Mommy of a preschooler can get a little hairy and overwhelming. When it does, I stop and look at my sink. Weird? Yes. But let me explain. A couple of years ago my sister turned me onto Flylady who has developed a system of organization that starts with “shining your sink”. Well, technically I guess it starts with getting “dressed to your shoes” which is basically making sure that you are presentable before your start your day and having lace up shoes on so you can begin your routines. But, after that, shining your sink is the first habit you take on. And I have to tell you, that is the habit I am doing religiously right now.

When I wake up and stumble downstairs to pour a cup of coffee and I am greeted by a sink full of dishes, I want to go back upstairs and crawl into bed. It’s just no way to start the day. But when I come downstairs and the sink is clean and clear of dishes, I feel like I have a head start on my day! I can drink my cup of coffee in peace knowing that I won’t have to rush around before Tater Tot gets up trying to get the kitchen clean before I can make breakfast. And it usually makes me want to check the laundry and get that going, too so that my “free time” while The Tot is napping is just that: free. I am free to do what I want to instead of being a slave to my house.

The other function that shining my sink has for me is symbolic. When there is a situation in my life that I cannot control, I do something that I CAN control as a way of letting go of the situation I can’t control. It is therapeutic and it works for me. I have control over my habits and routines even if I don’t have control over the things that worry me. So I keep my sink clear at the same time I keep my head clear. It’s a two-fer!

Once you’ve shined your sink, there are other routines that you can put into place that really can make your life easier and keep things perking along as they should. You can get quite a bit of information from the Flylady site but she also has a book out called Sink Reflections available at Amazon if you click on the title back there. And your local library may have a copy if you want to check it out first.

I have to be honest: I backslide. And Flylady expects some backsliding. But progress is expected as well. Baby steps, jumping in where you are, and starting again are all a part of the package. And, boy that’s a good thing in this household! For now, my sink is shiny and my laundry is almost always done. And I cannot overstate the feeling of peace and accomplishment that it gives me. As a woman with an advanced degree, it feels really quite funny to type that I feel accomplished because my sink is clean and the laundry is done. But it really does!

The next thing I’m going to tackle is a weekly house cleaning schedule, I think….wish me luck!