New Me?

About a month ago, at a Spiritual Retreat, I was asked to declutter my mind and life. I can't remember the exact prompt but we were to write down something that we could give up to aid in the decluttering. I wrote down "laziness". Although the rest of the event was unspectacular, that one part stuck with me and I took it to heart.

I am, by nature, lazy. Or I thought I was. I'd much rather watch TV or read than clean or exert energy, unless it's exercise like hiking. If I can avoid walking into another room to put something away, I will. Well, previously I would!

Somewhere in writing down the word, or maybe it was in the sharing of it with my neighbor at the table, I changed my attitude. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a good lazy afternoon, or day, or whole weekend! But...

I started with the dishes. I HATE doing the dishes. I let them pile up until I run out of something (knives, for example) and then two days later finally get the dishwasher full and running, and still have a pile in the sink that didn't fit. It was a horrible, embarrassing cycle that I don't believe I've ever admitted before!! BUT!! No more!!! My dad would always give me a hard time. He uses about three dishes a day and washes them by hand after dinner and that's it. I have finally gotten ahead of the cycle and have now, for TWO weeks, washed my dishes every night before heading to bed. Know what? It doesn't take long when there's a pot, some cutlery, and a plate!! I do still use the dishwasher though. But when I run it, I don't leave the clean dishes in it for a week!! When they're dry, they come out :)

So, now that my kitchen is basically perpetually clean, instead of the opposite, I have found that messiness in other rooms is starting to bother me...

Am I becoming a neat freak?!?!?!! I doubt it. But I REALLY like my new attitude!!