My dirty House helped me Grow

Sometimes we need to DECIDE to make the best of a situation, even if we are unhappy about it.

There have been MANY times I've had to do this. Let me share one.

Home Building 

My husband and I decided to build a home, ourselves, literally.

There was a season we lived in a motorhome with our 4 children while I ran a business out of a 400sf office space that was on the yard.

I envisioned my children playing in the beautiful grassed yard, or lounging in the living room area of my "office." All while keeping the tiny 400sf place CLEAN and organized, after all its such a small space, it should be easy.

Ah, yea... Ha. 

This wasn't the case.

Dirt Days 

The office was in a section of the yard where there wasn't much grass, just gravel, and because kids stick to their moms like glue, they didn't venture too far. Do you know what that meant?

Dirt. 

Too much dirt. 

And when it got wet, oh, don't get me started.

It felt impossible to keep things clean, especially when the kids were going in and out so much. 

The Unexpected Problem 

I don't know what it was about that summer, but that year, there was a massive fly problem. They were everywhere. 

To top this craziness...

We had this wonderful plan to buy Muscovy ducks (they were supposed to eat mosquitos and flys).  

They didn't.

At least not enough to make much of a difference. 

And because they were friendly, they wanted to be close, even though their "home" was on the other side of the yard.  Do you know what that meant?  

Poop.

Poop under the canopy. Poop in front of the door. Poop everywhere. 

Ugh. I cringe just remembering this. 

We quickly got rid of them and faced the flys ourselves. Still not sure who won.

Let's not forget...

This was THE BUSIEST season of my business.

Busy Season. Mega Growth 

Inside that 400sf building I processing orders, trained staff, keep track of inventory, all while attempting to keep messes at bay.

Simultaneously, I was creating a production management system as business growth demanded automation.  Needless to say, it was a busy year.

But...

It also happened to be one of the best years for character development.

One area I stretched in was in not stressing over a not-so-perfect home.

For sanities sake, I had to let-things-go.

Thankfully I already knew I could change stress levels by choosing not to let things bother me. This is done by allowing situations (that would normally stress you out) to pile up, and instead of letting your emotions run wild and steal your joy, you keep them calm, in control and choose joy. 

I choose not to let the mess bother me. 

Although internally it did bother me, I choose not to act on those emotions. 

Lowering Standards 

Lowering standards isn't usually a good thing, but in some situations, it is. 

This is one of them. 

There are a number of moms out there (we all know who they are) who are neat freaks. Perfectionists and who hold a high standard in their home.

Nothing wrong with this, in and of itself, don't get me wrong. 

Where there is a problem is when this standard becomes a god. When it trumps everything else and you become hyper-obsessive over having to have everything cleaned to your high-standards, all. the. time. 

Only you can accurately gauge where you're at in this crazy-cleanliness cycle. And only you can decide if you will loosen the control grip for the health of your family. 

Facing My Reality 

I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and I had to face the reality that keeping up with my cleanliness standards, would have been impossible.

I also knew that if I tried, I'd be an overworked, unhappy, flustered mess. 

Something had to give.

I couldn't let me clients suffer and I'm pretty sure that no matter how busy you get, you still have tiny mouths to feed.

So what was I do to? 

Can You Relate?

You may find yourself in a similar situation. Deeply entrenched in responsibilities and unable to keep up with your home. 

Is your sanity worth fighting for? Is the connection with your children and spouse worth it? 

In 5 years, no one will remember just ow clear your floors were. No one will remember how often you mopped, if the microwave got wiped or whether the dishes were left in the sink overnight.

 These things are not pillars of a good life. 

Having happy, healthy relationships with love, laughter and time spent together is what will count and what will be remembered. 

Accepting the Season of Life You're In

I realized, the chaos and mess I found myself in will only last for a season.

When you are put into an uncomfortable situation, you need to decide to make the best of it and choose to have a good attitude anyway. This is the best kind of strength training. I call it developing your inner-strength. 

It's not pleasant to grow, in fact, it often hurts when we are pushed to our limits.

However, do know, in your apparent weakness, is when you're growing, that is, if you can hold onto joy and handle yourself well.   

So stay strong, remain happy, and in keep yourself in control because character growth always rewards you with happy, healthy relationships.

Ready For More?

If you've enjoyed this then you'll LOVE my free teaching titled: How to Reduce Stress and Manage Overwhelm.