Many flybabies in The Flylady Way closed group showed interest in how to take what we are learning with Flylady by breaking it down into Stepping Stones.  Many were doing babysteps and would only get so far before they would give up.

The Flylady Way’s Stepping Stones is a course that I am sharing of my own journey and how I interpret Flylady.  These are the Stepping Stones I have been taking.  I got tired of picking up a stone only to knock myself in the head after I realized I had done the dance of Crisis Cleaning that always seemed to lead to Crashing and Burning.

You see, I know I am an adult with Attention Deficit Disorder.  I have been tested by a doctor using the standard test for this disorder.  Our brains are just wired differently so someone who is not ADD is going to have a harder time explaining how to take care of our homes than someone who is living it.

I recently watched a show on this subject on Dr. Oz Show.  The show was geared more towards couples and their marriage and ADD.  I felt the information would still apply to The Flylady Way because many of the flybabies I am in contact with are couples and families so naturally keeping a home running smoothly would be of interest.

So what is so different learning The Flylady Stepping Stones than Flylady itself?  Not a lot.  The information is basically the same because I know Flylady works and am forever grateful to have found her.  Because of her, I have a successful blog.

One thing that Flylady has said over and over, her routine is not going to work for us in the way it does for her.  Many of the things are guidelines, suggestions, and resources.

This is where many of you get tripped up.  I know I did for many years and what I hope you understand is that this is part of the process.  For the past 6 years I have been jumping in where I was and this year flying is better than ever for me.  My flying isn’t perfect by any means and I don’t believe I want it to be perfect because that is also defeating one’s purpose.

What I have introduced in The Flylady Way’s Stepping Stones so far are as follows:

Week #1
I asked flybabies to sketch out a floor plan of their home to see where their traffic patterns are and if there could be a better way to fly.  I asked them to look at their floor plan and think about where a good launch pad would be, the actual stepping stones they step on as they make their transition from work to home or school to home.  When I was in outside sales, one of the techniques used as one explains the benefits of the product selling is called a “Bridge.”  Many shows and the news use this technique to keep you interested.  By having these bridges created into your floor plan may keep you going.

Week #2
I asked flybabies to gather a few supplies to build a Control Journal.  So many get frustrated trying to make the perfect Control Journal that they have no energy for anything else.

 I suggested tabs of: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Zones, Emergency, Meal Planning and Master List.  This leaves them with one extra tab they can use as financial if they would like.

We worked on the Daily Tab by committing to 3 habits for each routine that will get us comfortable with the idea of flying.  This totals 9 habits.  As time goes on, we can add a habit to each of the routines.  What many have tried to do is all of it all at once.  I wish I could have but then I probably wouldn’t be writing about it because it wasn’t an issue for me.  It is the way I am wired.  I can only take on so much information at a time and then practice it continually for an amount of time before I am able to digest it.  Once I do, I never forget it!

Week #3
I asked them to do the Weekly Home Blessing Hour.  I have found I can not do it in an hour.  Sometimes it takes me all week to do it by doing one of the seven each day.  Therefore, I call it The Flylady Way’s Weekly Home Blessing.  The other thing I did different is think about the order in which I do each therefore making it easier for me to do.

1. Change the Sheets on your Bed:  Have your children do theirs with your supervision.
2. Toss out last week’s magazines and newspapers:  They are clutter.
3. Gather up all the trash in the house and put in the trash can.
4. Grab your feather duster and knock down the cobwebs and dust all surfaces.
5. Vacumn the Traffic areas in your home. (If you use a vacumn with attachments you can use it to knock down cobwebs
6. Sweep, then mop the kitchen and bathroom floors
7. Clean glass mirrors and doors:  handprints, toothpaste, dog nose prints as your final blessing.

I found many were not doing their Weekly Home Blessing and were focusing on the Zones.  Zones are important too.  I just feel it is better to get comfortable with the Weekly Home Blessing and use it as a form of Zone Cleaning.  One cannot Detail Clean until the clutter is gone.  Many do this and quit because they cannot see a difference.  You won’t either because as Flylady says, “You Can’t Organize Clutter.”


Next week we will focus on the “Days of the Week” that we will do our “Weekly Habits.”


Keep Flying!
Marilyn

Making Our Control Journal Work For Us Is Part Of The Flylady Way’s Stepping Stones