Wednesday, April 3, 2013

FlyLady - First Impressions


As I mentioned in my last post, I was introduced to a website called FlyLady. The website is all about overcoming your perfectionism and "finally loving yourself" (hence the word FLY). So what better a way for me to find domestic bliss than to follow this program!

Let me start by giving you my version of how it works. Each month, FlyLady introduces us to a new habit that we should try to incorporate into our daily routine. In addition to the monthly habit, each week we are given a "zone" in the house to focus on. For instance, this week we dedicate our time to taking care of "Zone 1" which includes: the entrance, front porch, and dining room. Since I signed up to receive the emails (free), FlyLady breaks it down even more, giving me daily missions on what specifically to do in that zone for the day. The email also includes a daily routine schedule that you should eventually adapt for everyday use. (This is just a quick overview, check out the site, FlyLady.net, for more details.)

So here are my first impressions of the FlyLady system:

Almost immediately after I signed up for the emails, I was bombarded with them! They were completely overwhelming. I wasn't sure if I needed to read all of them and I also didn't feel like I had the time to since some of them were quite long. I wondered what I had gotten myself into (there is a "lite" version with one email a day, but I was afraid that might become too easy for me to ignore).

Quickly, I realized I'm really just interested in the daily "Flight Plan" emails and deleted or set the other emails aside for the time being.  I really love how the "Flight Plan" tells me the monthly habit I need to work on, gives me a daily mission for my "zone" and includes a specific daily routine. Personally, I feel like I follow direction really well, so it definitely helps me to accomplish something. Otherwise, I tend to feel overwhelmed and don't end up doing anything!

As I said, I can become overwhelmed easily, but FlyLady has a solution for that. According to FlyLady, the best way to avoid getting overwhelmed or sidetracked is to break things down into small tasks and stick with them for 15 minutes, then move on to something else. It is true that you won't believe how much you can actually get done in 15 minutes! I kept saying I couldn't get anything done because I was too busy with my two-month old daughter or just too exhausted. It's pretty easy to squeeze in a 15 minute task during one of her naps or when my husband comes home and can relieve me for a short break. I just tell Siri on my iPhone to set a 15 minute timer and go to work. The best part is I can give myself permission to stop working on the project even if it isn't done perfectly (well honestly, I'm still working on that part)!
 
So overall, FlyLady is already helping me to see that in letting go of being perfect, our lives actually become a little more perfect and a lot less chaotic. I'm excited to continue working on both the monthly habits and the daily missions while working toward finding domestic bliss. Check back here to follow up on my progress!

Have you tried FlyLady? What do you think of the system? What works for your routine?

*Note - This review is my personal opinion. I have not been asked by the website to review it; I am just sharing my journey to domestic bliss and hope the help it provides can be a part of my success. 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Two Months Later...

Two months ago, I was trying to find something to do with all my time. Now that my little girl has arrived, I am just trying find a second to get anything done!

A lot has happened in the last two months here. My mom passed after a two and a half year battle with breast cancer. My husband's grandfather unexpectedly passed while traveling internationally. And Halle, my little bundle of joy, was born.

Needless to say the past two months have been hectic and chaotic. I've had to do a lot of life adjustments and assessments, but it's all a part of finding my domestic bliss.

Life with a newborn is far from routine, but I realize now that didn't have a good routine down anyway. Now I'm committing to finding a good routine. Recently, I was introduced to a website called FlyLady. Her website is all about letting go of perfectionism. It's perfect for me right? (No pun intended.) I'm going to use her daily emails and monthly missions to help me get my life a little bit more under control. And just maybe, I will find my domestic bliss.

Have you ever heard of FlyLady? What do you think of the website?

Keep following my adventures to see how it turns out!