A Favorite Life Habit. Or Two.

Good morning! It IS a good morning already in my neck of the woods, primarily because a) I woke up b) I have food to eat and a roof over my head and 3) I saved 2 ducks from certain death on 700 E by bravely shooing them back toward the duck pond. Even if you haven’t saved a life or two yet, I am confident it can still be a great day:)

So, you know how I have this list of favorite habits over here? May I elaborate on the first two on the list? Thank you – I shall proceed.

Give everything a spot.

By “everything” I am referring especially to things like your wallet, purse, phone, keys. The sorts of things that derail a timely exit from the casa/house/abode.

I can’t say exactly when I started but, if I had to tell someone else where in my house to look for certain things I could now* with ease: the keys are in the pantry, farthest hook to the left. My wallet is in the pocket inside the front compartment of my workbag, which lives right next to the stool/chest/seat inside the door.

When I travel, my car keys get zipped inside the other pocket inside the front compartment of my workbag. It takes a little doing to develop a habit around this BUT the payoff is pretty sweet.

I actually don’t carry a purse since my wallet is itty-bitty and usually I just need to carry it, my phone and keys and all these fit in my pockets or hand. But if I did, my keys would go in the pocket on the left saving me from The Rummage.

[I recognize that there are lots of moms especially who can’t fly light like this because they heroically—I am not being sarcastic—pack around essentials for their kiddos which might include favorite toys, snacks, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, etc etc etc. I applaud you and know that my simple single life is not your reality right now. But you can still put your keys in one spot and have one tiny spot of order in your hectic life:)]

Do the dishes every night.

The last thing I want to do at night if I'm tired and ready for bed, is dishes.

But guess what Morning Emily enjoys? An empty, clean sink.

Several years ago, before going to bed, I started washing the dishes by hand. It’s funny, but it quickly become (again) something of a tradition, a ritual that helps me wind down and separate The Day Stuff (busy) from The Night Stuff (sleep).

I've upgraded to using the dishwasher, but the result is largely the same.

Starting tomorrow with a clean sink is something FlyLady and my Aunt Shauna are big fans of, and it's something that just makes you feel like you can tackle the world.**

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*Maybe one day I’ll share with you the fateful story of my missed flight to NYC. It involved a best friend ransacking my house at my request and a grumpy American Airlines pilot named Carl.

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**What do you think about when you hear the phrase “tackle the world”? I’ve literally never thought about it until right now and wonder…is it meant to convey literally wrapping your arms around the globe OR tackling everyone in the world you meet? I can’t honestly recommend either but I’m still on board with its figurative meaning, whatever that is.

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