I've known of this website for years, but I'd only told my mom about it two or three weeks ago. Years ago I read some of the suggestions on the website and between Fly Lady and a couple other resources, I was able to declutter my craft/computer room so it's a livable, workable space.
Occasionally, I have to declutter again when things get stacked up, but for the most part, it's a usable space for my family and occasional company, as it serves as a guestroom. But I hadn't looked at Fly Lady's website in years; I'm not the type to hang on to stuff and I always have an active Goodwill box working it's way out the door.
One day, I was researching how to make money from a blog, when one of the sites suggested networking with other bloggers. I remembered Fly Lady and wondered if she advertised other sites on her website. I don't remember how I got to this column that made me think of my mother, but the first line was "You can't organize clutter, you have to get rid of it." Hear, Hear! I'm really good at that.
I considered whether it was a message my mother was willing to hear; I had given her books over the years to help deal with her clutter problem, so I decided not to forward it to her figuring the information would get "filed" away and ignored. A few days later I was over at her house fixing some computer problems she was having. She was sitting next to me as I was giving her some instruction on some of the programs.
For some reason, I decided to show her the Fly Lady site. The glazed look I saw come into her eyes I interpreted as continued denial, so I just went about the rest of my task and left when I was finished.
The next day she called me and yelled at me, "How long have you known about this site? Why haven't you told me about it sooner?" I told her I'd known about it for many years, but hadn't actively used it myself.
My mom has embraced this site with joy. It has changed her life; she even puts on a pair of shoes with ties on them as the Fly Lady suggests. Now instead of clipping newspaper articles for me, she keeps sending me Fly Lady columns she's been reading.
Feeling rather superior in my fairly decluttered home, I've been tolerating the rampage. But yesterday my mom and I went out for breakfast and as I bemoaned my continued habit of procrastination and lack of progress in forwarding my writing career, my mom spouted Fly Lady psychology.
I began to give a slight heads up. Then this morning, an article my mom sent me made me sit up and take notice; just this part stopped me cold in my tracks:
Have you gotten in a rut? Not a bad rut; but let's say a comfortable rut. You know the same ole same ole! You go through your day without any thought about your passion. Passion: What is that anyway?
When procrastination gets in the way of your passion; it becomes an excuse to not follow your dreams. We have all said it in some form or fashion, "I don't have time to go back to school and finish my degree". This "I don't have time" attitude gives us the excuse to not be or do what we were put on Earth to do with our lives. You are robbing yourself of you! Not to mention what you are robbing the world of: YOU!
There is more to that column, but it was enough to make me realize that I may not have physical clutter, but my brain is cluttered. Perhaps I can use a bit of Fly Lady in my life, so I signed up for her daily emails.
And as I told my mom, "You may not have been ready for the information back when I first knew about it. God guides us to things when we are ready."
Pot - Kettle - Black
God also knows we sometimes need to take the long way around before we get the message.