Just Do the Next Thing

Have you ever looked around your house, and all there is to do, and just wanted to cry? Or maybe you really have cried...don't feel bad, that seems to be the reality of certain days and times during this journey of parenting. But I do have some good news ~ I've discovered an effective way to tackle mess when it threatens to overtake our homes.

Many years ago, I watched a video set by Elisabeth Elliot entitled A Peaceful Home, and found it full of wonderful truths; but what impacted me more than anything else, were four little words that she suggested ~ "DO THE NEXT THING!" Elisabeth expanded on this principle and shared ways that were practical to bring order, but there was nothing new or surprising. The fruit of the whole teaching for me truly seemed to come from hearing that expression.

I have applied DO THE NEXT THING for more than ten years now and still find myself using it; but because it had become so routine I had not considered sharing it until one of our recent Mom's Nights, in the spring. A few months later, I had some moms came back and tell me that they now have the expression running through their heads when they are trying to tackle their houses with all that needs to be done, and it has helped them tremendously. This caused me to realize that it was not just benefiting me, and therefore it should be passed along.

So, how can you transform your life with these four little words? The only way to do that, that I know of, is for me to walk you through what I do when every room in my house seems to be in disarray (maybe it won't work for you, but give it a try). So, here it goes...

    Let's imagine on any given day, that as I pause at noon and take inventory of what has been happening on various levels and in various rooms; I find a significant amount of chaos in each area (not very hard to imagine, so far, is it?). The first thing I would do, is call the children to the areas that I know they can handle working on to start sorting and cleaning (I realize if you have only babies and toddlers this requires moms doing most of the work - but don't worry, it will pay off for you later). Next, I would go to the room I find most important for me to have in order and start working there until it is back to my standard (that room and standard may be different for each of us, so apply what you would do - for me it is my kitchen and clear counters is my standard). Then, I would go to the next room or area and stay there until it is completed - this can mean utilizing baskets or my helpers to carry things, depending on how much there is to sort. I would continue on in this process until everything is tidied up in each area on all levels. Although it may sound long, even with 5 kids and a 2 storey house, I can usually be done in about 20 minutes. Don't let this seem overwhelming, it shouldn't - the whole time I am working on organizing I simply tell myself that I just have to DO THE NEXT THING.  The reality is that when I am done, I am able to do all my other tasks with much better efficiency and pleasure.

A few keys that help me are:

- Start with the area most important to have clean, then think of what areas are good to have tidy next, in case of drop in guests

- Relax and don't get stressed - cleanliness is NOT next to godliness
(When I shared this with a dear friend, she responded , "Thank you so much for this one particular line...That little cliche plays clearly in my head so often when my house gets messed up - in such a condemning way that I know exactly where it's from. And I know that is not to say that we should forgo keeping a clean and tidy house, rather that an untidy house from time to time does not mean we are failing at being a godly woman." - I could not have said it so well)

- During the whole clean up, keep reminding yourself that you only have to DO THE NEXT THING

- My goal is tidy, not perfect; but the benefits are good for all - even our young ones will play with more focused attention when their areas of play are kept ordered

For me, I have found that when I plan for these clean up times after breakfast (checking bedrooms for beds made), at lunch (from morning events) and again in the evening, the mess is kept in very manageable amounts. The old saying remains true, though, "If I fail to plan, then I plan to fail".  I have to remind myself that although this discipline is not "fun", it is of great value to the function of our home.  Planning to stay on top of disorder, can bring peace to our homes in ways we may need more than we realize.

Proverbs 21:5, in the Message, says,
"Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run;

hurry and scurry puts you further behind."