Cleaning Reset

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

This is the yin time of the waxing crescent moon, a phase of growth, when I am planting my intentions and caring for them. I'll take time to discern and create clarity. 

Agenda:

1. Read "Tiny Habits"

2. Deep cleaning

3. Giving each thing a home

4. Studio healing

5. Nurturing my intentions

1. Read "Tiny Habits":

I'm reading this book by BJ Fogg (2020), with the subtitle of "The Small Changes That Change Everything". This is the scripting process introduced in Sweet Spot, expanded on.

Chapter Three is Ability; Easy Does It, all about choosing the tiniest thing. Motivation is unreliable, but ability is dependable. The first step in designing simple steps is to discover what exactly is making this behavior hard to do: Do I have enough time?, enough money? Am I physically able? Do I have enough mental or creative energy? Does it fit into my routine? This is the ability chain. 

And the last question is, How can I make this behavior easier to do? 3 ways to choose from: 

1. Increase my skill - research, practice, take a class...
2. Gather tools and resources - a coach, a video, special supplies...
3. Make the behavior radically tiny -  Choose a starter step (fill the water containers) or scale back (test one new color).

2. Deep cleaning:

After quite a while of doing "basic" cleaning, I'm starting to be disgusted with some parts of my house (around the sink, door frames, light switches...). Now is the time to step it up a bit, little by little, to clean those spots well; but - I keep hitting a brick wall. 

Ideas: I need a Big Task Day (or two) each week, and I need to choose only one or two big tasks each week. I think Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are the best days -I millwork best when I'm alone and undistracted (and Monday will be my fallback if I don't finish on the weekend).

My top 2 Big Tasks this week/ next week: 

• Clean the hall doors (Monday)
• Clean under the bed (Saturday
• Wipe around the sink (Sunday)

3. Giving Each Thing a Home:

I'm still working to find a zen balance of order that feels good. I have asked myself "Why am I holding on to so much stuff - how can I make letting go super easy? How can I make sorting fun again?"

My current clearing plan is to tackle one room clearing task, one outdoor clearing task and one studio task each week. This week I plan to:

• Clear books and papers 
• Clean up my potting shed area
• Studio: Organize my paper boxes, and shelves.

My weekly rhythm + extras is:

• M: Garbages                                          
• T: Recycling                                         
• W: Sort clothes and give some away                                     
• Th: In-basket, papers, books 
• F: Deep dive: Organize studio paper boxes, and shelves.                                                  
• Sat: Clean up my potting shed area 
• Sun: Zen tidy in kitchen

4. Studio healing:

I also need to continue to heal my working space and my Light. 

I need to clear out the studio so I can access my supplies and so I know what and where my tools are. The top priority is to have space to move around inland then I need to scrub and clean.

1. Clearing:  Start by boxing up anything I'm not sure I need and move it into the house temporarily. 
2. Cleaning: Take the studio one section at a time, strip it clean, and repaint. Start with the door area and a clean rug. 
3. Grandson space: Set up painting and construction spaces for visiting every day (big motor, process oriented).

5. Nurturing my intentions:

During the waxing crescent moon I'm in a yin phase of growth, planting my intentions and caring for them. Today I will look at again at the intentions I set at the New Moon, and plan a symbolic way to care for each one:

1. Attention to my state of Being in and out of equanimity: Add this back into to my beingness process, and continue to work through my Anger Book to learn more skills.
2. Focus on balance and flow: Write more about flow, intuition,  and intentional time; Define the Authentic me.
3. Give daily attention to the End of Summer garden: Make a daily list of small care tasks: Harvest, collect seed, water, weed, mulch and preserve; Also start some more fall seeds.
4. Daily attention to my art practices: Today work on my moth watercolor; take photos; start my Free Plants sign; make a fun fairy house!