Put on the full armor of God, 
so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers, against the authorities, 
against the powers of this dark world 
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 
Ephesians 6:11-12 

Your house is not the enemy. Your clutter is not the enemy. Your children, their UN-checked-off chore charts, and your NOT-a-Dyson vacuum cleaner are not the enemy.  

The enemy is the enemy.  

Just thought I would clarify what we know to be true as we launch into a new year of managing home and hearth – which most likely also includes a war on clutter.  

Every mom wants a neat, well-organized, clean home. But that goal often feels elusive when teaching children, shuttling them to lessons and activities, managing church and community commitments, and a zillion other things on our list of responsibilities.  

As the to-do list grows and stress rises, we might be tempted to blame the dirt and clutter and disorganization on inadequate cleaning supplies or disobedient children. When that happens, it’s time to breathe deep. Assess the problem. Find a solution. 

We hope our ‘Do It’ List will help. This one-page resource is designed to be a simple, easy-to-follow guide to help you keep your heart focused on God, while managing the demands of a household and home education.

Our common-sense guide includes Daily, Weekly, and Monthly tasks intended to help you see steady progress in taking back your home in 2019. We publish a new ‘Do It’ List each month, trading out one monthly task each time to cover once-or-twice-per-year responsibilities. We even offer a blank version for those of you who like the method, but need to tailor the chore lists to your own situation. Homeschool moms are, after all, a very diverse bunch!

Each month we drill down on one task to give a little inspiration and insight. This month let’s talk about: Organize a Drawer or Cabinet.  

You will note that this item is on the weekly list. Moving it to the once-per-month list would require an assignment like, “Organize Master Bedroom” or some larger, more involved task. We want to keep this task doable, so it’s pared down to a bite-sized piece. Here are some ideas to spur you on: 

1. Slow and steady wins the race. 
   It will be tempting to get on a roll and organize every drawer in your kitchen (or bathroom, or whatever room you are tackling first). Resist. Choose just to do one. Over the course of a year you will conquer 52 drawers and closets! If you plow on through the whole room, you will not only wear yourself out, you will also ignore the other items on your list. Dinner might not be prepared, the math won’t get graded, and the piano teacher may call to ask why your kids didn’t show up for lessons. Perhaps most importantly, doing one drawer per week cultivates a regular habit, rather than a one-hit wonder. 
2. Use a timer. 
   Decide in advance whether you will devote 15, 30, or 60 minutes to this task. Using a timer will hold you accountable and keep you moving. Don’t get bogged down reading magazine articles from last summer’s issue or trying to figure out if the battery still has juice – just make a quick decision and move on. Keep a trash can handy for “throw away,” a shopping bag for “give away,” and a pile for “put away.”
3. Purge quickly. 
   If you think you might use it again, you probably won’t. Instead of assuming you will keep everything in that drawer, pull it open with the attitude that says, “Every one of you in here has to earn the real estate you take up!” Be ruthless!
4. Frugal or greedy? 
   We home educators are nothing if not frugal. We may not be part of the greatest generation, but our mantra is still, “Use it up, wear it out, made do, or do without!” Our frugality, however, when taken to an extreme might actually be greediness. Ouch! Yes … greed. If we are holding onto something we might need, we are keeping it from someone who does need it. Let it go, sister!
5. Draft some soldiers in your war on clutter. 
   My mom was a home manager extraordinaire. Truly. Our home was always well-organized. Tidy. Clean. When I opened my drawer, there was always clean underwear. When I outgrew clothes, they seemed to disappear from my closet; same for toys I no longer played with and games that were missing pieces. The downside of her doing her job so well was that she did it. I never learned how to declutter, discard, and organize. If we enlist the help of our children, not only do we have help — remember, the Proverb 31 Lady had servants! — but we train them early on in this important life lesson.
6. Check back. 
   Go back during the week and pull out that drawer you organized. Let it bring you joy. Make you smile. Let it inspire you to be ready to do it again with a different drawer next week. (And if you see some deterioration, get it corrected!)
7. Take it to the trunk (or to the curb).
   Whatever you chose to purge must stay in the give-away or throw-away pile. Removing it from your house will help ensure it does.  

Clutter is a first-world problem. Isn’t it interesting (and humbling) to note that women in other parts of the world struggle to have enough and we constantly battle with our more-than-enough? As you clear out the clutter and enjoy the rewards of an organized space, you can simultaneously know you are blessing others as you give away those items you no longer need.  

Clutter isn’t the enemy, because our battle is not against flesh and blood. But it sure does feel peaceful to win the war on clutter. Can I get an amen?

Click below to download the January 2019 ‘Do It’ List in the version of your choice:

January 2019 'Do It' List

January 2019 BLANK 'Do It' List

---

 

 

If you enjoyed this post,
please like our Facebook page!