The problem with cleaning the kitchen is that I find a toy that belongs in Eva’s bedroom so I stop and take it there.
While I’m in her room I find a bath towel on the floor so I take it to the laundry room.
I try to start a load of laundry but the washer and the dryer are full so I take the load from the dryer to the couch to fold it.
But I see Maggie left a plate on the couch. ?So I take the plate to the kitchen and suddenly I remember…
I’m supposed to be cleaning the kitchen.
Can anyone relate to this? Do you ever get so overwhelmed you just find yourself running in circles making no progress at all? If a messy house gives us this much trouble then no wonder so many of us are still struggling with the same problems we’ve had for twenty years. That’s because we don’t have one big painful wound, we’re walking around with a dozen or more. And with that many problems needing our attention we get overwhelmed and nothing gets accomplished.
When I’m trying to clean the kitchen but find myself folding clothes on the couch instead, I am usually guilty of a disorganized approach. If I’m going to get anything done then I’ve got to maintain a laser focus. As it pertains to housekeeping, I need to stay in the kitchen until the job is done before moving on to another room. And when it comes to compounded emotional distress, it’s important to focus specifically on one issue at a time; usually the most painful one is a good place to start. As each hurt is healed it creates relief and emotional space. It also builds momentum for more progress to be made.
So if you need some help cleaning your kitchen, emotionally speaking, it would be my privilege to walk with you through the process.