serene | Baby steps, day eleven (Reply)

(The baby steps are at this FlyLady link.) I'm adding "(and do 15 minutes of decluttering)" to every day's tasks, because until I get rid of the clutter, I'll never get on top of the cleaning.

Day One: Shine the sink
Day Two: Get dressed to lace-up shoes
Day Three: Read FlyLady BigTent emails
Day Four: Look at sticky note (in bathroom and kitchen)
Day Five: Write down negative things you're saying to yourself, then write down positive stuff to counter that
Day Six: Spend two minutes on a Hot Spot
Day Seven: Pick out clothes for tomorrow
Day Eight: Make binder for control journal
Day Nine: Add a five-minute room rescue to your Morning Routine.
Day Ten: Set your timer for 15 minutes and go gather up all the trash you can find to throw away and put it in the garbage can outside. Then set your timer for another 15 minutes and sit down and put your feet up and read a favorite magazine until the timer goes off.

Day Eleven: Today we are going to add another page to our Control Journals. We are going to call this our “Inspirational Page.” On this page, I want you to spend 15 minutes writing down some of your favorite inspirational phrases. Some of mine are:

You can do anything for 15 minutes
Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family
You can’t organize clutter; you can only get rid of it.

I know you have others that you love. Use this page as a place to write them down when you see something that touches your heart.

Okay, fifteen minutes is a long time. I'll just put these here. Here goes (I prefer "I" to "you" in things like this.)

I can do almost anything for fifteen minutes.
Good enough is good enough.
If there's less stuff on the shelves, there's less stuff to clean.
I don't have to do it all in one day. Just a little at a time.
If I can't find my things, they aren't giving me joy.
If my things aren't giving me joy, I should give them to someone who will enjoy them.
I'm an adult; I get to choose how I spend my time, and how I keep my space.
I'd rather have a happy home than force people to clean up after themselves.
Housework done in a half-assed way still makes things better.
Better to do two minutes of tidying than to give up.
It's amazing what I can accomplish in fifteen minutes.
If I do it with joy I'll want to do it again.
Rest is a weapon.
A clean desk is the sign of someone who knows how to use a filing system.
Clutter takes away my joy. Clean surfaces bring it back.
I want my home to be clean and welcoming.
Why not now?
I am good at accumulating stuff, so divesting myself of stuff now poses no danger that I'll run out of stuff later.
If I spend less money on random stuff, I'll have more money to spend on the stuff I love.
Do one thing at a time.

Deskside hutch, before 15 minutes of decluttering: