Is housecleaning spiritual? Absolutely. It involves organizing, prioritizing, and categorizing. At best, our outer worlds are mirrors to our inner worlds. So organize, prioritize, and categorize to your heart’s content. It will straighten both your inside and your outside.*

Periodically, I re-discover my slovenly nature and try to make amends. At that point, I join FlyLady to learn the tricks of the trade.

Here are some tips (and some humor) from Cleaning with Meaning that one writer, Jana Reiss, took from the FlyLady:

Five Things I’ve Learned from FlyLady

Here are some tips I’ve gleaned from my six months on FlyLady’s email list. Some of them may work for you too.

1. Do it now. Procrastination is a symptom of perfectionism and needs to be overcome. Do what you can, when you can, the best you can. Then let it go.

2. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Set your timer, work steadily at one task for 15 minutes, and then stop, even if you’re not completely finished. The next day, pick up where you left off and do another 15 minutes. Trying to tackle an entire room or project all at once can be overwhelming.

3. Go shine your sink. When FlyLady was moving from chaos to order, the first thing she did was shine her sink. Go ye and do likewise. It is amazing what a clean sink can do for your spirits. You’ll feel inspired to spread that sense of order throughout your home.

4. Clear your “hot spots” every day. You know what they are: the kitchen counter that collects all the mail and school flyers; the bedroom chair that would be great for reading in, if only it weren’t covered with laundry. Clutter always attracts more clutter.

5. Start where you are. We’re all going to have periods where we fall off the wagon. FlyLady wants us to just dive in wherever we are. Our houses did not get messy overnight, and they won’t be cleaned in just one day.

Three things FlyLady teaches that I will never, ever do:

1. Wear lace-up shoes every day. Not a snowball’s chance in hell, FlyLady, despite your promises that I’ll be more productive. Attractive shoes make me feel better.

2. Do at least one load of laundry a day. FlyLady wants us to keep the laundry moving, but I’ve found a twice-a-week schedule to be more efficient and environmentally friendly.

3. “Swish and swipe” the bathroom every morning. Let’s get real. I’ll feel great about myself if I scrub the toilet once a week.

*A note: If you are obsessive-compulsive, you may not want to do any FlyLady related behavior because it may make everything worse. Talk to your therapist first.