The Little Bit...and Then Some

So, like any mother of two toddlers, I feel completely overwhelmed and frazzled most days. I struggle to keep up with daily chores. I agonize over getting organized. The list is long and distinguished. Some days, it feels so consuming that it takes a small pep talk to get going in the morning.

That is....that is how life was last week. And as many weeks as I can remember before that. I finally broke the cycle and am proud to say the grass IS greener on the other side.

Some may ask, "So what made the change? What caused such a big difference?" My answer is the little bit and then some philosophy. I'm sure that I've heard this principle before, but I finally got it last week. You see, I got tired of wallowing in the things that weren't getting done, so I did what I could to change it. Instead of getting frustrated that the dishes weren't getting done without a dishwasher and the house hadn't been cleaned in two weeks, I asked for a little help and paid someone to come watch the kids.

A paradigm shift occurred by putting a little skin in the game, and it felt GREAT. But then, I was awake that night worried about the mere days it might take to have it all crumble again. My paradigm philosophy answered back to my fear by quickly interjecting that it simply didn't have to continue that way. All I had to do was focus my worry time and a few minutes a day (the here and there moments that present themselves when the dishwasher delivery man is twenty minutes late, when the kids sleep an extra 15 minutes, when I can raise myself out of bed thirty minutes early and avoid the pity party, etc.) and apply it to MAINTAINING a small sense of order on the important things.

It was a miracle in the making. My house is clean one week later. The kids are happy. My husband is happy (he finds me glad he's home, not happy that it is HIS turn with the kids). So, I now find myself with a little more time that is not dedicated to reinventing the wheel design for my life. Instead, I choose to dedicate the extra time saved to doing the "and then some" of life. You know, picking one drawer a day to reorganize or one drawer of clothes to reclaim in the kids' rooms. I've given myself permission to not declare victory over the house in a day, but I've committed to not losing the ground I win.

I'll keep you posted!

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith." 2 Thessalonians 1:11