I am a big fan of lists.  I have great to-do lists.  The problem is that they don’t really make me feel any better.  Yeah, all those things do have to be done, but they just keep going and going and going…like laundry, mending, dishes, etc.

So I tried a new one this week.  So far I am loving it!  I walked from room to room in my house (and also in the backyard) and made a list of what was bothering me in that room/area.  Not what “needed” to be done, but really the things that made me unhappy or uncomfortable in the room or the area, like clearing off the top of the refrigerator or spraying just a small strip of weeds starting to grow in the driveway.  When I was done I noticed something really weird.  Almost none of the things I put on my “bothering me” list were things on my to-do list!  Apparently, none of my regular to-do items were really bugging me, but this new list let me look at my home in a more personal (and I think important) way.  These were the things that were dragging me down and stealing my daily joy and energy and my to-do list was so full that I wasn’t getting to any of them.

Most of them are quick fixes.  A few will take more time.  So far, everything I have done has taken 10 minutes or less with the exception of the top of the refrigerator.  That took a loooooong time.  But that is only because on top of the refrigerator were the remains of the children’s Easter baskets.  Yeah, don’t judge me, I know it is almost JUNE.  Anyhow, sorting candy with four children is never a quick process.  But, back to the point…accomplishing things on this list has really given me a boost and contributed to the way I have felt about my home.  This is a project that I think is worth doing every month or so, just to maintain that good feeling and comfortableness in your own home.  What’s on your “Bothering Me” list?

Here is a big one coming up.  How long do you think this will take? This is my out-of-sight out-of-mind gathering place for all things office related.  I sort of just pile it all up around our old computer that we almost never use.  I’m sure that you all have at least one of these secret messy stashes, right?  Notice the big box of envelopes on top of the computer monitor?  That’s a good place for envelopes, right?  Don’t tell me I’m alone in this… 🙂