Cleared entryway remains clear because we put our bags away after our trip © All rights reserved
Would you mess up this hallway after a trip?
It’s not that the hallway is perfect yet. It’s that this half of the hallway is so much better than it was a few weeks ago, thanks to all the clutter clearing we’ve done. I can’t take credit for the improvement. My SO did it, so I don’t have before pics, but when I walked in from my trip, schlepping heavy bags, my feet aching, and pooped to pop, I stood stock still and smiled. My back actually straightened, despite the weight of the bags hanging from my shoulders.
I don’t know about you, but when I come home from a trip, I’m so tired I tend to drop my bags in the entry way, change into my jammies, turn on the tube, put my feet up, and fuhgeddabout everything else. Often as not, I’m skirting those unpacked bags for days. Okay. I’ll admit it. Plenty of times, I’ve kicked them aside and left them for weeks.
After all, when you’ve been gone there’s so much catching up to do, right? Email, Facebook, Twitter. The milk is sour and you forgot to replenish the coffee before your trip, so you have to make a quick run to the store. Laundry overflows the hampers. What’s new, right? But now you’re forced to wash a couple of loads or wear that too tight blouse with the missing button in the back of the closet.
It’s easy to drop the bags and leave them.
Resist
Imagine what it will be like to come home from work tomorrow and NOT trip over those bags. More importantly, imagine finding your toothbrush and deodorant in their rightful places in the morning when you’re rushing to get ready for work. Unpack. Now.
That’s what I did. Seeing that clean floor, that uncluttered space, there was no way I was dropping my bags and leaving ‘em. After I unpacked, I put the bags away–where they belong! That’s gotta be a first.
For once, the day after a trip, I woke up to a tidy entry way, to my toothbrush in its holder, and my dirty laundry in the hamper. Boy, did that feel good.
Sure, there’s a pile of unsorted mail and a lot of junk on the hall table. You can’t see all that mess in this pic. But further down the hall, you can see signs of more clutter. It’s not perfect! But if you had seen this hallway a few weeks ago–boxes piled four feet high and junk on top of them–you’d know why it feels so good to keep it looking like this.
Breaking habits is worth the trouble
Breaking old habits is difficult. This image, with its bit of cleared space and clean floor gives me hope that I can have a tidy, clean house one day–and every day. I am beginning to look forward to a time I can invite friends and family to my home without embarrassment.
What’s next
Tomorrow, I’ll give you a quick update on a problem solved and show you what I accomplished today.
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