When does "The Beginning" Begin?

Wow!  I wrote my first and last entry more than three months ago.  I pray this doesn't set the standard for this blog.  No!  It can't!

I've been somewhat - paralyzed when it comes to starting this.  It's almost like when you know you need to diet and you just keep saying, no, I'll wait until Monday (or January, or next week after our out-of-town guests leave).  Excuse after excuse keeps rolling through your mind.  Fear of failure and a not-so-driving perfectionism keep us stuck right down in the mud of our own unhappiness (unhealthiness?).  That's where I've been for three months, friends.  Down in the mud.  Wishing that this place were cleaner, more organized, less cluttered.  That I were a better housekeeper.  If ever I felt like getting up out of the mud, I'd get so overwhelmed by all the mud around me that I'd give up hope and push myself right back down in the mud again.  After all, when you're already that muddy, what's a little more mud going to hurt?

Last night I was inspired.  I got in the bed and picked up some reading material.  This time it was the notebook that contained the print out of FLYlady's 31 beginner baby steps.  The thing I'd always looked at and scoffed.  For some reason last night I looked at it and it all seemed so easy.  Sure, at first it may take a while.  When you haven't cleaned your bedroom in a year it's going to take a while to clean it!  But when you take baby steps and clean a little at a time, by the time it's clean all you have to do is maintain.  You're already used to the little at a time approach at that point and if you just stick to it you never have to "clean" your room again.

All of that to say - It begins TODAY!  No looking back!  I may not be perfect.  I may miss a day here and there, but I'm going to do this.  Starting with a shiny sink.