It Can Be A Little Seductive & Distracting--(The Distraction of "Total Transformation")

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So, are you allowing yourself to be seduced this first month of 2013? 

(Do I have your attention now?)

 

By seduction, I don't mean the kind of thing that would make one blush in front of their mother, or change the channel when the kids come in the room....

 

I am talking about how in January we all get sidetracked by the dream of a complete transformation, a fresh start, a total change. You know the drill--dropping 100 pounds, running a marathon, quitting your day job as a librarian to form a heavy metal band....

In my line of work, this idea usually expresses itself in one of the following dreams: creating a totally redesigned master suite with a dreamy spa-like bathroom, designing an amazing gourmet kitchen that completely smokes your current pokey galley kitchen with the laminate counters,  or just perhaps winning the HGTV 2013 dream home and leaving it all behind??....

 

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE THOSE THINGS. They can be AMAZING...but sometimes the idea of a complete transformation (what a seductive distraction!), can keep us from focusing on small, very simple things that can have just as much of a lasting positive impact on our day to day life in our homes. They just aren't as sexy.

 

Take some time to think about the things that are bothering you around your house--clutter? unfinished housework? piles of laundry? drab rooms? that stack of papers on dining table? Now commit to picking ONE THING to do each day or each week for all of 2013.

Here are some ideas to get you started (you have heard some of these from me before...:) :

  • Do one load of laundry each day, from start to finish. Three easy steps: throw the load in before you leave for the day, switch it to the dryer before you eat dinner, have each person put their pile away as they go to bed.  This habit will totally change things in your household...no kidding.
  • Set a timer and sort papers for just two minutes once a day. It is amazing how this tames the paper tiger.
  • Declutter one drawer or shelf a week. No big time commitment or overwhelm here! Just 15 minutes to straighten, sort & trash/donate unneeded items. You are off to the races!
  • Purchase fresh flowers for your nightstand or kitchen table each week. This little treat makes everyone feel welcomed in your house, especially you!
  • Ask others you live with to do one chore each day to help out. In the past, my children were responsible for making their beds & putting 10 things away in their room each day. The number was easy for them to remember, and it was a measurable task quickly completed.(I think this will be our household's 2013 habit to renew!)

Remember--JUST PICK ONE--something to do for the long haul. I would LOVE to hear some ideas that you have, too! Please stop by Revealing Redesign's Facebook page  or leave a comment below, and share what ONE THING you will do to change things for the better around your house this year!!