"There's no secret to getting started. You simply decide and then take your first step. With each subsequent step, the next one becomes easier..." - Tom Venuto
It's time for Motivation Monday here at The Motivation Station! This week our four hosts will be posting an intro entry to tell you all a little bit about ourselves and what we hope to accomplish with this new challenge blog.
As for me, In the past I had always been a neat, clean and very organized person. I always had my days scheduled, I thrived on routines, ate healthy, worked out and was very proud overall for the way I kept my life, family, job and household running so smoothly.
Over the last few years I've had lots of ups and downs. I've been through two major health issues which included major surgeries, my work hours got longer, the commute farther, the kids got older and harder to keep on simple schedules. My mother is aging rapidly, no longer driving over this past year, and she needs more and more care by the day now. Not to mention I'm getting older too! Things are just more difficult now and as a result I am always behind, sometimes lucky to get the bare necessities taken care of!
I tend to have two speeds - high and off. More often than not lately I tend to put on my make-believe blinders and just turn to "off" when it comes to things that aren't absolute necessities. Sometimes I have to do it to save my sanity, sometimes it's necessary for my physical health too, a person can only take so much work and stress before it affects our health.
Unfortunately, living like that leads to living an unorganized life full of procrastination and clutter. For me, living like that just stresses me out that much more! That's why I'm here, this blog was created for selfish reasons - I'm not only here to get you motivated, I desperately need motivation myself!
I'm pretty good at sticking with commitments and especially when I announce it to others. It really helps me when I'm making those commitments working together with a group. I love getting fresh ideas and hearing how others find balance. I need to make adjustments in all areas right now, so Motivation Mondays could go in any and all kinds of directions. I sure look forward to having you join me.
My first goal and initial challenge here is what I call a "Free 15" challenge - spend 15 minutes working as quickly as we can on cleaning, decluttering, projects, whatever you personally need to work on that you're behind in or have been putting off.
I leave my house at 5:45am so I won't be here to participate in the challenge until after work, but feel free to get started without me whenever you are ready!
Here's how it will work - leave a comment saying you are playing along, run do your "Free 15," remember to work as quickly as possible, set a timer if you'd like. When your 15 minutes are up come back and leave a comment posting what you were able to accomplish in that time - I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised, I know I always am. Go for another session or two if you're up for it!
I am personally committing to a "Free 15" challenge right after work every day this week, and hoping to get the rest of my family playing along too. I will be coming back to this entry every afternoon to post my progress in the comment section. If you'd like to join me today and/or every day this week just come on back and add to the comment thread each day, the more the merrier!
Are you ready? GO!
Martha (Menagerie)
32 comments:
My 15 will start after work too and as it is the day to put the rubbish out on the curb for tomorrow's pick up. I'll spend that 15 cleaning out the fridge and dumping the old stuff and emptying out wastebaskets around the house. It's a good day too to throw out the accumulated junk mail. Hope your Monday is a great one.
'On Ya'-ma
I love starting Monday on a cleaning note. It's also my day to put out the trash and there was soooooooooo much this week as I spent the weekend cleaning out cupboards prepping for the rummage sale and trying to pack. I did end the weekend completely exhausted and with the couch and chair full of clean laundry and magazines to sort through. So I spent my 15 minuts this morning finding the couch and chair. I'm going to try and spend the day doing at least 15 minutes every hour on a different room. I'll report back tonight!
OK, so I'm actually going to do this! My office at work has gotten out of hand and it's truly a gorgeous office that I'm blessed with. Today, my hubby and in laws are coming by to have lunch with me, and I must show them where I work WITH PRIDE! So from 12-12:15, I am going to straighten up the mess!
Wish me luck!
Love ya Martha....
Nancy
Hello from Los Angeles and my first fifteen minute session is going to be my kitchen, then fold and put away the mountain of clean laundry. Thanks so much.
Big ((Hugs)) to you, Martha, I am here to support you in not just cleaning, decluttering, but also as a friend. Please let me know if you need something for you or your family including your Mom.
Looks like I'll be here early to get some early challenges in after all - Barely got settled in at work this morning when I got the call to pick up my son, he's sick again.
I'm off to do my first "free 15" challenge right now. I should be able to get a bunch of them in today!
I'll be back to update soon!
First 15 done! I folded the load of clothes I left in the dryer yesterday, started a load of towels, got the dishwasher unloaded, reloaded the things from breakfast, cleaned the coffee pot and wiped down the kitchen counters.
I'm off for another 15!
Hi there, I'm done w/unloading and reloading the dishwasher, cleaned off the counters, washed up pots/pans, and cleaned the fridge door of outdated notices, lists, etc. (That really cleans up my kitchen!:o)
Off to do the den and a walk through of the house for dirty laundry and sport equipment.
Back soon, thanks so much.
Almost done w/the den, it's like a giant toy box w/the electronic gear, remote controls, pet toys, legos, airsoft rifles, etc.
I also snuck in some exercise this AM with bamboo sword practice from my martial arts training.
Off to finish the den and then the entryway for my next 15. Peace Out as the teenager says.
Ooops, I think I went over the 15 minutes this time - started decluttering kitchen drawers and cabinets.
It looks like I'll be into some big declutter missions all day today. Hopefully it will give me a good head start!
Since I have this unexpected day off I'll be flip flopping my challenge - working for an hour or two and taking 15 minute breaks.
I'll check back! :-)
okay; I'm in for today; at least for one of the 15 minutes challenge; I'm going to finish the blogs on my Dashboard and then set the timer for 15 minutes; I'll be back to report what I got done
betty
I finished straightening the den and entry way including I took 24 baseball hats upstairs for distribution among the Three Men of the house! I'm off to do some errands, I'll be back to deal w/the clean laundry. Ta ta for now!
I took off for the semi-local grocery store and collected 15 "apple" boxes (you know the heavy duty ones perfect for a cross country move). Then I started with the bathroom cabinets and sorted through for the toss, pack for now, pack for later and leave with son buying his first house. 2 boxes packed for me, a full trash can, a box for son! YAY! empty bathroom cabinets.
I set the timer for 15 minutes but actually spent about 30 minutes; got all my papers organized; papers were over my work desk, personal desk, coffee table, etc. Shredded a whole bunch, filed some, everything looks clean and organized (now to keep it that way); and I vacuumed :) So it was a productive 30 minutes! (and then I took a nap LOL)
hope your son feels better soon Martha!
betty
I emptied the trash downstairs, cleaned out the cat's litterbox, took the dog to the park to run around for a little while, then off to the petstores to stock up on petfood. I also filled up my gas tank. I live in wildfire and earthquake country where the motto is "Be Prepared".
I'm off to plan dinner and work on a master "to do" list including contact the gardener for yard clean up.
To finish out my petcare theme, I finally filled out the dog license paperwork.
Still haven't tackled the laundry, ugh.
Hi everyone! Sounds like it's been a productive day for all!
I got started on decluttering my kitchen cabinets, had to go out for a bit, got distracted when I got back and somehow started decluttering my sons closet and drawers instead, LOL!
I got quite a bit done and a nice head start - for that room anyway. Hopefully I can at least get that one room 100% complete by the end of this week!
I'm off to finish up dinner now. I'll check back in later this evening :-)
What a good idea. I'm doing The Shred workout (20 minute workout every day) and I feel GREAT!
What a day, so much fun and productive too! I made dinner, a very easy recipe which I need to share w/our Kitchen Krazies. The laundry will have to wait until after dinner and I'm going to enlist my hubby to help fold the laundry because he is incredible at it, like machine folding, I kid you not. Thanks all, see you tomorrow.
I'm jealous Martha - with my hubby or kids folding I may as well just jam the clothes in the drawers straight from the dryer! I chase everyone away, I'm the folding machine around here!
Dinner is finished, kitchen cleaned (again) - my work here is done, LOL!
Hope to see everyone and more here tomorrow. Don't forget, I'll be doing the "Free 15" challenge here on this comment thread all week!
Thanks for the compliment, Martha, it's pretty bad when the boys do a better job than me, but I do the best I can. I will be back for the free 15, I work on Tuesdays, so it's catch as catch can w/any chores, but this is Fabulous!!!
I spent the afternoon hauling all the rummage sale goods out to the barn. 25 laundry baskets full! So my 15 minutes turned into 2+ hours, but at least it is out of the house. Now I just pray for a good turn out at the rummage sale!! I also got 4 more kitchen boxes started.
I'm back online and since I wasn't able to check my email before work this morning, I did my fifteen minute cleaning instead....
I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, sealed the bills to go in the mail, put the shower saver refill in the shower, helped son3 by putting out the recyclables, and put the seashells from the summer beach trip in the house plant pot... then went to work til four, came home, did homework with son3 and made dinner while hubby went to get my internet replacement and the grocery store, and now everyone is getting ready for bed to do it all over again tomorrow.... :)
What a very industrious bunch you've all been today, does 15minutes making soup count?? I spent lots of bundles of 15 minutes painting the hallway too, I get the boring bit round the edges but I managed a sneaky shot of the roller, lol, before hubby got cross with the new doorhandles and gave up - we need new doors to put them on as we have horrible hollow doors that don't take the screws for these handles, looking forward to that shopping trip!!
Will go off to Tuesday's one now,
Texa
A note to Motivation Monday participants - Just keep in mind that our goal on "Free 15 challenges" is to work as fast as you can for 15 minutes on something you have been putting off or something you don't normally do in your daily routine - anything can count, but the idea is to add something not to post something you do everyday anyway. Just 15 minutes, we call all squeeze that in!
What a fun we had participating here yesterday! :-)
My goal for today since I'm at home with my son again is to do a Free 15 clean/declutter in every room of the house - it's noon here now, I'll be back after I work on 3 rooms for 15 minutes each!
Kitchen 15 - did dishes from today and pan soaking from last night, refilled the drawer in fridge with bottled water, filled up the large plastic container with dry cat food, cleaned the inside of the microwave.
Dining room 15 - wiped down the table (that the cats love to sneak up on when I'm not looking!), took items out that didn't belong in there, dumped them in the junk room - er, I mean family room, removed (now this is embarrassing) the Easter trinkets from my dining room hutch.
Living room 15 - removed all items that didn't belong, including many odd things that somehow ended up in my wall unit, general straightening up.
Fairly productive for a total of 45 minutes I think!
I'm off to do 15 in a few more rooms, I'll be back to update in an hour again.
Another 3 rooms down!
All three bedrooms each about 15 minutes - took off sheets, pillow cases and blankets, started wash, general clean up, cleaned the TVs (why do TVs and computers attract so much dust anyway?)
Off to work on other areas this round. See you again in about an hour!
Hi, here's my 15 minutes- cleaned the kitchen including all pots and pans, disinfected the countertops, did a walk through of Boytown and picked up dirty laundry, hung up the wet towels. This is instead of waiting until the end of my work day and I am liking taking care of this when I'm still fresh. I also shredded a bunch of stuff at work and tidied my work station instead of just moving piles.
Thanks, baby steps = progress.
I also exercised for fifteen minutes which is something I am trying to Step Up My Game. I listen to music when I do chores and exercise. ttfn
This time around my first 15 was rebooting laundry and straightening up both bathrooms. I thought about working in the family room (my worst room in the house for clutter), but have decided it's just going to have to be used for a dumping ground until I get the rest of the house completely decluttered.
From there I went back to where I left off with decluttering in the kitchen. I'm planning to work in there for maybe another half an hour, that will be it for today as far as the challenges go - and then on to all the things I normally do after work!
Martha - Congrats on squeezing that exercise in too! It's been a couple of weeks since I've worked out, that's going back on my regular schedule very soon too!
You've done Outstanding today, Martha and I so hope you feel a sense of satisfaction and enjoy the cleaner living space.
Exercise is my cheap therapy, I have to kickbox so I don't deck somebody IRL.
I agree Martha, kickboxing is therapy! (I love it and it makes me feel tough, LOL!) and it's such a great workout!
I do feel a sense of satisfaction between yesterday and today! I feel like I've actually made a dent in my goal! I'm motivated and ready to take on more! :-)
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