Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Practice
A friend of mine who is a yoga teacher was talking about having a “practice.” She wasn’t talking specifically about yoga, but more about life, and trying to be a better person. Just because you don’t succeed in one day doesn’t mean you don’t wake up the next day and keep trying, because it is a practice.
I think about this a lot, because I spend a lot of time telling people how to do things so their homes run well, even though sometimes I don’t even do those things perfectly myself, yet somehow, overall, my home runs pretty smoothly. While it’s true that on any given day I may have more paper on my desk than I should, or I may abandon my weekly menu and end up wasting some veggies, day in and day out I am practicing doing these things better. I’m not perfect, but I am generally improving and my home reflects that.
I also think it’s good to remember that it’s important to not lose faith. Over the years, I’ve given a lot of lip service to the idea that if I just repeatedly guide and teach and help my children to keep their rooms orderly, someday it will rub off and they will be orderly all by themselves. But to tell you the truth, sometimes I’ve despaired and thought that it would never happen. Recently though, my daughter has suddenly become very interested in organizing her room. Does it look like I would like it to? No, but it is organized! And she is doing it, on her own, without nudging. It just goes to show that if you maintain your practice, you never really know when it is going to take root and flourish.