Quick Clean Challenge #1

Hello, and welcome back!  Are you ready for the first Quick Clean Challenge?  I hope you are! 

The first challenge sounds very easy and, in theory, it really is.  The challenge comes, at least for me in just remembering to DO it.   So, here it is:

Challenge #1: When moving from one room or area of your home to another, stop and take a quick visual inventory before you leave that area.  Is there something that belongs in another room?  Are you going to that room?  Is it something that can be put in it's proper place quickly?  Then DO it. Is there something else that needs to be done before you leave that room that can be done quickly?  Then DO it.  

Its as simple as that. 

Let me know how it goes for you and I'll check back with you all in a week to relate my own progress.  

Quick Clean Challenges... Who's With Me?

If you read my most recent post, you know that I struggle with finding the right balance between rest, play and work.  I firmly believe that if we free our minds from the little stresses, the bigger ones may not seem as big.  One of my ambitions in writing this blog is to inspire creativity, but to be our best creative selves, we need to have the freedom to create without being distracted by all the little issues that perpetually surround us.  Things like clutter, dirty dishes, things out of place, those spots on the bathroom mirror... all the little things that clutter our minds with "I should be doing" guilt.

I know I'm not alone in this struggle, so I thought I'd propose a challenge. One challenge a month.  It will involve finding simple tasks, things that can be done simply and quickly.  Hopefully they will be things that will establish better habits for all of us.   

If you read the last blog post, you also know that I started imposing the "one minute rule" on myself.  If it can be done in a minute or less and you have that minute right now then just DO it.  Slowly I have seen this start to become a habit for me.  I still have to be conscious about it, but I'm telling you folks... it works.  

The idea behind the Quick Clean Challenge is that, most likely, if you have one minute, you probably have two, maybe even five.  I'm interested to see how much of a difference that just tidying up for a few minutes at a time can make.

From my last post you also know that I'm very much an "obliger".  When someone else is counting on me to complete a task, I'm much more likely to accomplish it than I am if the only one counting on it is me. This is where you all come in.  I'm hoping you will join me in these challenges.  I'll post one on the first Monday of each month. Some will be Two Minute Challenges, some may be Five Minute Challenges.  We will see as time goes on and I get more ideas.  I'll ask you to join and post your successes and progress in the comments.  Feel free to link to your blog if you have a post about it.  We will check back every Monday and see how things are going. 

So, who's with me?  I hope you will post in the comments if you plan to join along.  The first challenge will be posted on Monday, November 2.  In the meantime, I'd love to hear about what challenges YOU face in finding balance in your life between work, play and rest and what strategies you employ to try and overcome those challenges.