For the past 21 days I have been concentrating on the simple task of making my bed every day in order to minimize the chaos that often creeps into my life. I have found that I absolutely love the feeling of order that instantly comes into my bedroom when the bed is made. It makes me want to keep everything else picked up as well. Plus, it only takes about two minutes, so not having time is simply not a valid excuse anymore. I have found, however, that it is much easier to do it right after I roll out of bed (assuming my husband is up) than to come back to it later.
For these next three weeks, I will continue to make my bed each day, while adding another simply daily routine to further minimize clutter and create more space for peace in my home.
The challenge: Keep my kitchen sink shiny.
Why the kitchen sink?
The kitchen is the center of my home. With my open floor plan, you can see it from the living room, dining room, and family room. I spend a huge amount of time on a daily basis either in the kitchen or observing it from another room. If my kitchen is messy for any period of time, it starts to feel like the whole house is a mess, which inevitably causes me to feel stressed.
Many years ago, I learned from the FlyLady about the magic of keeping the kitchen sink clean. According to her, a clean kitchen sink instantly transforms the feel of your kitchen. When your kitchen sink shines, you won’t want to fill it with dirty dishes and let them sit there. Rather, you will want to get them put away as soon as possible so that you can enjoy your shiny sink. Not only that, but if you make sure your sink is shiny before you go to bed, you will never wake up to a sink full of dirty dishes again. I don’t know about you, but seeing dirty dishes first thing in the morning instantly makes me feel behind before I ever really start the day, which leads to unnecessary stress.
My ultimate goal is to minimize stress and chaos so that I will have more energy for the things that matter most. Since the kitchen is often the biggest source of visual clutter in my home, I am going to spend the next three weeks trying to get that clutter under control by simply keeping my sink emptied and shined. I know that it will take a little bit of work, especially with five children at home for the summer, but I think it will be time well spent.
If you are interested in joining me, start by reading this tutorial about how to shine your kitchen sink. It is very thorough and will get you started on the right foot:
FLYing Lessons: Shining Your Kitchen Sink
After that, you can read this article which will give you some great tips on how to keep it shiny after the initial cleaning.
Are you ready for your kitchen to be transformed into a more inviting and peaceful place? If so, join me by keeping your kitchen sink shiny for the next 21 days.
Are you in?
