Can it be?  On the eleventh day of the month, I am feeling the same physically as I did three years ago.  I have to struggle to do my Nine Habits Each Day Every Day .  Thankful that I journal I was able to put the two together.  Daylight Savings Time and how my body has a difficult time adjusting.  What makes a difference today?  I do have nine specific habits I practice each day that keeps my house a home.  I tried many different ways in the past three years.  Finally I have found something I feel works for me and will work for many.  Why did I choose these particular ones?  Let me explain.

Habit #1 – Getting Dressed To Shoes
This has been by far the most difficult habit for me to make.  I live with Fibromyalgia and I don’t always wake up to flowers and sunshine.  Most days it is still a struggle to get out of bed.  My dog Lily is my alarm clock these days and I no longer go back to bed after I get up to let her and Fred my maltese out for bathroom duties.  They won’t allow me to.  I have to feed them right away.  I have my first cup of coffee at this time.  Then I make my bed as I get dressed to shoes.  At this time, I am already in the bathroom so I do Habit #2 – Swish and Swipe.  I also think about and decide Habit #3 – What’s For Dinner?  

I still give myself some quiet time or time to wake up.  It is usually 45 minutes that involves taking medications, eating breakfast and drinking coffee.  What I didn’t get planned the night before, I do so now.

If I have Habit #4 – Load Of Laundry, I do that next.  When the wash is going, I go right into Habit #5 – Declutter Each Day.  I have learned to declutter every day even if I don’t think I have anything to declutter.  As long as one moves about the home, there will ALWAYS be CLUTTER.   It just comes in various forms.

The hardest habit for me these days is Habit # 6 – Making Dinner Early.  Now I have the time change to deal with.  Our family has always eaten later rather than early simply because I was raised on a farm.  If I eat too early, I get hungry before I go to bed.  It takes a conscious effort with this habit.

Habit #7 – Shine Your Sink has come to be one of the easiest habits I do.  Why?  Because I NEVER let anything sit in the sink.  The other reason is when I cook, I always start first by filling a sink full of ‘Hot Soapy Water’ and wash as I cook.  I try to make 2 meals with one that I freeze for the days that are hard for me to cook.

Habit #8 – Lay Out Clothes used to be one of the most difficult things for me to do.  Why?  Simply because I was putting too much ‘FEELING’ into my clothing decisions.  Clothes have always been my identity since I was young.  I sewed almost all of my clothes and lots of work went into them.  Now I always have 3 outfits in queue.  I have determined to have 3 different looks.  1.  Usual every day habits.  2.  Clothes I wear when doing projects that are not yet ready for trash but if paint got on it, I will be alright.  3.  Clothes I wear to go to town or to church.  Ask me this 3 years ago and I would go into complete panic as to trying to make the decision what I was going to wear the next day.  That all went away because now I have Habit #9 – Launch Pad Ready.  Yes, some time during the day I decide what I will be doing the next day and it all stems on which day of the week I plan to go to town.  Mondays are my ‘Merengue Planning Day’ where I plan my week.  Many factors are involved.  I try to keep my ‘Doo Wop Errand Day’ on Thursday if I can.

So you see, three years later, I still struggle with Daylight Savings Time.  I have accepted the fact that I will have to deal with it each year.  The difference this year is I have a plan in place that helps me get through my day even when I don’t want to do it.  Start practicing Nine Habits Each Day Every Day and watch you gain control of your life and your home.
Marilyn