Deslobification...

'Deslobification' (de-slob-i-fi-ca-tion) is one of my new favorite words.  Add it to 'fantabulous', 'Monkish' (I'll explain this one in another post), 'gigantinormous', 'chillishcious' and 'uff-da'.

I came across 'deslobification' at one of my new favorite blogs: A Slob Comes Clean  by "Nony the Slob".  I lo-ove it!  She talks about her daily journey to rehabilitate her slob-by tendencies.  

She's funny, she's real, ...she's a lot like me. 

(OK, AFTER posting this and AFTER re-reading this, I realized how that sounded.  I meant the 'messy' part.  I'll let you judge the 'real' and 'funny' part.)

I am not a natural slob, though.  Clutter is chaos to me and totally, TOTALLY stresses me out.  My high school friends will tell you  what a neat freak I was in high school.  Jane will tell you how I used to come over and immediately straighten their bathroom towels.  Robin will tell you that when she stayed over night I had to clean my room before I went to bed - even if it wasn't messy. And I organized my socks - color coded them, in fact (ok, I still do that.)

But then I grew up and acquired a husband, a dog and three kids. 

And we all live in a small (did I mention small), little house.  

(NOT my house. Photo is for demonstration purposes only. But it does vaguely remind me of our basement.)

 

Now, 20 years later,  I am an overwhelmed, perfectionistic slob.  

Meaning, if I can't do it ALL, clean it ALL - everything, everywhere, ALL at ONE TIME and do it PERFECTLY...I become overwhelmed and then just sit down and don't do anything at all. 

Whew...and uff-da.

But after a husband, a dog, and three kids, I am learning.  Slowly...

One of my favorite phrases comes from the "FlyLady" - she addresses the perfectionism syndrome by saying

"Just remember, it's cleaner than it was before."

Cleaner than it was before!  I have come to love, love, love those words!!! 

There is FREE-DOM in those words.

Those words mean I don't have to get out the bleach and the 10 gallon pail, wash down all the walls, wash all the curtains, purge and sort through every closet and drawer, and hide every toy...just because I know the mailman is coming to the door with a package.  

Those words mean that if I took twenty seconds to pick up a pair of shoes, wipe off a counter, throw a load of clothes in the dryer...I have made a positive difference in my home.  And I can be OK with that.

Whew...deep breath...sigh of relief. 

Yeah, I think you get the idea.