Progress, not Perfection

I have taken on the task of deep cleaning my home.  It should take about 12 weeks to hit every area, as I'm focusing on one room a week.  It might sound overwhelming, but it's not really.  For one thing, I've pretty well hit maintenance mode in most of the rooms in my home.  (Did I mention the sunroom?  Yeah, it's an unusable wreck.)  The fact that each room is already at a tolerable level of clean makes it easier to think about digging beneath the surface in each room.

The other reason that it's not overwhelming is that I know I'm not expecting each room to come out perfect.  Sure, it'd be nice if I get through every task I've set myself for each room.  Realistically speaking, I'll run out of time to do each thing.

This week, I'm working on my kitchen.  My cupboards are cluttered, my counter is cluttered, my refrigerator is in desperate need of cleaning out, as is the freezer.  So, I'll do the things that are sanitary matters first, like the fridge and freezer.  Then I'll hit the other tasks.

I'll only do what I'm physically able to do each day, and I'll only do what I have time for each day.  I will take regular breaks - I'll probably set my timer for 30 minutes and work til it goes off.  Rest for a bit and then back to it.

The goal is not to have a spotless kitchen at the end of the week.  (I won't lie: I hope it's quite clean.) I AM looking for a more organized kitchen than I started with.

Before I start my deep cleaning each day, I'll do my regular chores.  Today, it's cleaning the bathrooms.  It will take me about 30 minutes total to do two bathrooms.  I'll hit the ground running as soon as I drop off my son at school.

It feels really good to be able to deep clean my house.  I feel like I accomplish something each day.  I brag about how clean my home is now when I talk to my mom....it's pretty sad, actually. It's all I have to talk about!  When my father-in-law comes over and comments on what a big difference there is now versus before, though, it feels fantastic.

What jobs around your house would make a big difference in how your home looks?  Deep cleaning may not be what you need to do right now.  Walk through your house with eyes to individual tasks or areas that need the most cleaning.  Make a list.  Prioritize the list.  Then decide when you'll do the first task and then get it done!  Progress, not perfection. Do a little at a time.