I probably hear this question the most in my group.  In fact I have asked the same question myself.

WHICH ANSWER DO YOU WANT?
There is probably two answers to this question.  Well, I am going to deal with two because the longer I am around using Flylady lessons and creating them to fit my needs, the simpler I want this way of taking care of my home to be.  Why?  Because I am finally ready to live my life!

The Two Answers I Have

1. How much clutter you have to begin with is going to determine how long it is going to take.
2. How much clutter you are willing to get rid of is also going to determine how long it is going to take.

There Is One More Answer That Can Be Done As You Are Doing One Of The Above Two.
This is the answer no one REALLY wants to deal with.  Why?  Because it seems so elementary.  And in many ways you are right!  Remember when you first learned how to tie your shoes?  There is the Bunny Ear Method and I know there are many more just like there are so many organizing books about getting rid of clutter.  What is the answer?  Habits!!  Learning to tie your shoe is one of them.  It is simply a habit.  You see how badly you want to learn how to tie your shoes all by yourself is in direct proportion to how much time you are willing to practice tying your shoes until one day it becomes a Habit!  Sure you will get them tied and then they may come untied and it is usually at the worst moment.  But you have to stop and get that shoe tied in order to continue what you are doing.  Perhaps it is because you are in the most important game of your life and your team members are counting on you.

Take this same analogy with Shining Your Sink.  You know it is the same thing just like learning to begin to Get Dressed To Shoes!  What happened?  Why aren’t you doing this?  You had to get dressed to shoes to go outside and play.  You had to get dressed to shoes to go to school.  Then came work.  You know you can’t go to work in your pajamas.

Now you are a SAHM or like me on Disability because I can no longer work a regular job.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t work in my home we say.  Sometimes we get rather defensive about it.  Then why are you still in your pajamas and not Getting Dressed To Shoes?  Aren’t you just as valuable to yourself and society?  Then, why aren’t you practing this simple habit that you learned years ago??  

I didn’t understand it until I took the challenge to Get Dressed To Shoes Hair And Makeup and document it to you all as I was doing it.  You need to get dressed to shoes for yourself to take yourself seriously.  You also need to get dressed to shoes to set an example for your children.  And what about your husband?  Do you really think he wants to come home to see you still in your pajamas after he just put in an 8 hour job?  Are you going to be believeable that you have been working all day long and yet don’t have any idea What’s For Dinner?  Have you ever thought what you may look like to others and them placing judgement on you that you don’t feel you deserve? 

Now we are back to that question that everyone seems to want to know How Long Is This Going To Take Before I Have A Clutter Free Home?  Do you really think you can get psyched up about doing this in your pajamas when one thinks of pajamas one thinks relaxing and sleeping.  How do you think you are going to get the clutter out of your home?  Don’t you have to take it OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME in order to get rid of it?  Maybe the delay of removing clutter out of your   home has everything to do with the fact that you got out of the Habit of Getting Dressed To Shoes! If you have another answer that is different than mine, I challenge you to tell me.  

Give this blog some serious soul searching thoughts.  That is going to determine how long it is going to take before you have a clutter free home.
Keep FLYing!
Marilyn