The Quest for Perfection

Is your house a messy, stressed-out place where you feel like you do nothing but chase the elusive dream of cleanliness and order? In your work life do you consider yourself a perfectionist? How can you be a perfectionist with a messy house?

Easy. Perfectionists tend to avoid anything they aren't going to be amazing at...even if they haven't given themselves enough time to learn to be amazing at said activity. I am totally guilty of this. I sang in my church choir, have belted out numerous solos in front of thousands of people...but you won't find me singing Karaoke on a Friday night. Why? Because I haven't practiced those songs and I might not be PERFECT at it!

Those of us who tend to want perfection or nothing at all struggle to keep a clean house for several reasons. Usually, we are very busy people who like to engage in lots of activities. Work, church, kid's school, volunteering...we do it all! So this leaves little time to do chores the way we know they should be done. Second, we like closure. We like things to be in neat little boxes that tie in perfect bows and can be checked off our list. But housework is NEVER DONE. If you get it perfect, it will likely be less than perfect roughly a few hours later. If you have a toddler, it'll be messy five minutes later. So why try?

I have had to learn to settle for less than perfect in my home and to give myself permission to LIVE in it. By organizing my spaces, teaching my children how to clean up their messes and creating structured times for clean-up (YES, I schedule time in my week just for home/office cleaning and maintenance!) and by getting help when needed, my home is a place I can relax and put my feet up. It's not always perfect, but it's comfortable. I can invite friends in and not die of shame that my house looks like a tornado touched down in the living room. And it doesn't keep me awake at night thinking of the cobwebs under the sink or the un-touched piles of old clothes and toys in the basement.

Ask for help when you need it. We are here to help make your life less stressful and to make your home a place you want to be.