Focus. Since you have company coming, what needs to be ready for them? Certainly not the garage, the upstairs closet, etc.

Focus. I'm helping a friend go through the flylady decluttering right now and we are doing NO cleaning of any kind. Only decluttering, which is not the same as cleaning or organizing.

So just focus on what you need for the company and go back to the decluttering after they leave. Then set your timer like Flylady suggests. I would also suggest you stay in her zones to declutter. That will really help you from getting sidetracked.

Gloria

whew, thanks quiltglo.

i needed that, i was really freaking out. i guess what gets me is that i never feel organized enough to keep things the way they should be. there is never enough time during the day.

i feel like i have to keep the house clean, keep the yard (and i've got the biggest brown thumb ever...another part of my stress...killing plants), making dinner, and work a full time job.

i know if i were to do it a little at a time, it'd be more manageable. that in fact was one of my resolutions.

dh doesn't seem to understand this tremendous amount of pressure i feel.

ps-
with everything i *try* to do, i can't manage to make myself feeling presentable. another point of contention. he wants me to go 'hang out' with his friend tonight.

that would mean that i have to fix myself up. which would take another hour.

i'm just exhausted. mentally and physically, and feel like i'm beating myself up.

i need some kind words and empathy right now, thanks.

Company coming means Crisis Cleaning, not decluttering.

Crisis clean now, do the stash and dash, then go back to decluttering when your guests leave.

P.S. I don't do much cleaning while in a frenzy of dejunking--but the house is getting MUCH easier to keep clean (or should I say cleaner, LOL)!

Oh, nibblin, I feel your pain. I can definitely provide empathy! That is exactly how I feel. Sometimes I get too overwhelmed by everything that is NOT done and don't give myself credit for what is done. Cut yourself some slack, it's not a pass or fail exam. Even when I get a declutter or cleaning project done, I'm still stuck thinking "Yeah, but this over hear is still a mess." I have an image in my mind of what I want the house to be like, and I see how far from that I really am, it's gets me down. It's probably an unrealistic expectation, especially with kids or work or having any other kind of life.

Give yourself credit for what you have accomplished and use it to keep you motivated about the rest. Enjoy your company this weekend and don't beat yourself up about whatever isn't perfect in the house. Surely they just want to visit you and aren't going to grade your house.

*The following is being said in a calm comforting voice*

Stop and take a few minutes to breath. The next thing you need to do is stop that stinkin' thinkin'. You are not a failure. Keep breathing.

Forget about that closet upstairs. Forget about that garage. Unless you plan on entertaining in either of those places they don't matter right now. You need to try the fly lady crisis cleaning. Set your timer for 15 minutes and work on your living room when the timer goes off set it again for 15 minutes and work on your kitchen...again 15 minutes in the bathroom. Then you set that timer again and sit down for 15 minutes and drink some water and calm down. Repeat as necessary. You only need to worry about straightening up these rooms (aka the stash and dash), a quick vacumming, a swipe with the duster, dishes washed, counters wiped off and a swish of the toilet. And for goodness sake don't get sidetracked with scrubbing the grout in the shower...that is what shower curtains are for- hiding the unscrubbed tub:)

Foxy.

I feel like this EVERY TIME I clean! I see all this "stuff" and these corners and another entire day of things I should fix, or move or clean! And when we have company? My husband cringes! I'm in a bad mood for the entire cleaning day!

One thing I have done was to try to stay focused. That is work in itself. And I find how much I get done when I didn't do all the "but firsts". Focus, focus. I've also learned to de junk and clean on separate days.

So, while I can't help much, I can tell you this happens to me weekly....I'm glad I'm not the only one!

You might get some inspiration from reading my thread on feeling overwhelmed. I know I did! Just skip over the part where I say that I quit my job. :-)

If you're not a gardener, you might revise your expectations for your yard...but that's for another thread, in another sseason.

Susan

Excellent thoughts above -- indeed -- for company -- do try the flylady's crisis cleaning. And breathe. Deep big breaths -- and put on some lively music.

O.K. do the areas like the bathroom, kitchen, dining room, living room. Thats it. Make a list if you need groceries and supplies.

Breathe -- set that timer -- listen to the music -- and go .......

My problem with guests?? I never leave enough time to get MYSELF ready and dressed and smiling ..... but I'm working on that aspect too!

I just found this thread and was soooo glad to hear I'm not the only one! I've just started Fly Lady's baby steps/decluttering.
Nibblin...I can totally relate. I just spent 2+ hours today decluttering our office and bathroom..you don't even want to know how much junk I tossed, and everywhere I look I need to do the same thing. I feel like I should rent a dumpster. Baby steps...baby steps...baby steps...sigh..

Teacats - that's been my problem for the last 25 years. I clean like a crazy woman when we are going to have guests..and at the last minute I look in the mirror and realize I look like I've been run over by a truck. I can't tell you how many times I've been climbing out of the shower as guests are walking through the door.

You all have no idea how nice it feels to hear that others have the same thing going on in their lives too. I want to give you all a great big hug!

Meskauskas,
If it makes you feel better, when I started FlyLady a couple years ago my goal was the equivalent of a 30 gallon trash bag PER DAY for 2 months. I had been doing the stash and dash for too long.

The amazing part is that, years later, I'm still finding junk to get rid of! It's the same stuff I kept before, I just look at it differently now. This winter I've made 4 trips to the Salvation Army (with my car loaded) just since Christmas.

Me too Julie - every cupboard, closet, and drawer is full, and then some. Adding to the everyday clutter we all accumulate, DH and I are antique collectors as well, so there's all of that too. There are things that we purchased years ago that don't really fit with us today, and I need to sell them off (they're too valuable to just give away). Thankfully, there's not too much of that.

Oh..and I'm a long-time crafter too, that likes to do a wide variety of crafts..so you can imagine all those supplies.

My goal is to get to the place where if I need to store something, I don't have to "get creative" to find a proper place to put it. I'm tired of opening a cupboard or drawer and seeing it already packed full of stuff.

When we recently redid our kitchen, I took about 3 carloads to Goodwill...junk that in some cases I didn't even realize that I had - let alone use. I'm endeavoring to keep the new kitchen free of clutter from the start - and the new layout is a big help for that, as you don't have as much room in deep dark shelves and corners when you switch to drawers and swing outs.

Meskauskas,
When I stop to think about it, all my storage places DO look less crowded now!

And I pared down my craft supplies, too. All the half-finished projects were tossed (they made me sad) and most of my stockpile of supplies were given to friends. It's MUCH easier to find things now, and easier to work on a project when I don't have to go rummaging through a million boxes to find something.

Good job keeping your new kitchen clutter free!

Julie

All the half-finished projects were tossed (they made me sad)

Me too! I threw out the cutest little dress that only needed one mending to be wearable again--by some other little girl, since mine is WAY too big. But it kept making me sad (and then I scorched it, which made me sadder).

I threw out several half-sewn garments when I cleared out my fabric stash. Every time I had looked at them, I felt like a failure.

is it sad to know that other people symathize and are actually going through the same things i am?

no! thanks so much for allowing me to see that i'm not alone.

my guests (actually my parents...)left, and they never saw my 'hot spots'. my father was my main concern, since i learned all of my organizational habits from my mother (a big point of contention with him).

his words always ring in my ears. 'the only place to store groceries is at the grocery store', and 'if there's one dirty spot in the house, your guests will see it'.

anyhow, they have left, i've continued the flylady...and it's making me feel better.

Nibblin,

Now that the guest crisis is over, I'm glad to hear your back to Flylady's de-cluttering phase. Now you'll become addicted to flinging things!!! LOL