Doing the dishes is my thing.
I LOVE washing dishes. That is how I unwind, especially when I’m in a really bad mood. There is just something about standing over the sink and using that Dawn spray that takes all the pain away.
There’s only one way this works. There has to be a process or it is utter chaos.
Doing the Dishes
When it comes down to doing the dishes, I have to make space.
(My dirty sink after dinner)
They can’t be piled too high or fill too much space in the sink. I just can’t function trying to maneuver around the other pots and pans. That noise and feeling is equivalent to nails on a chalkboard.
The screeching madness of my own personal hell.
I have to remove all the larger items and clear the left side of the sink for my system to work. I place all the smaller items in the dishwasher and continue to the larger items. I leave some of the items to soak to make it easier on my life later.
(Made space to clean)
Why does this matter?
Life is like doing the dishes. Things always come up. It’s a daily process as life gets messy and we have to clean up. There’s no shame in that. We all do it.
It’s not even anything bad. Just normal life items that we enjoy and have to clean up to move on.
I wanted to highlight that my washing practice is specific to making room. You need to move stuff out of the way so they’re not distracting.
Have you ever tried to juggle three things at once and you feel like you can’t breath? Work? School? Family?
When you try to do all these things at once, you feel like they’re just bashing into each other and you can’t get anything done.
Make that space so you can get more done in less time with less damage. Broken dishes suck.
Build an Intentional System
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
-Stephen Covey
Your system has to work for you. Only you know what will work for what you need. The way I do dishes is very specific to me. This also reflects on how I approach each day and prioritize what I’m trying to accomplish.
This saves time and a lot of heartache.
Look at your schedule to figure out what you can move, what you want to prioritize, and what you can throw out all together. Your friends and family will thank you.
Let the Bad Stuff Soak
Like a common kitchen accident, you might get burned.
When this happens in the kitchen, it’s going to smell bad and be a real pain to clean. It takes time and a little bit of effort to wash those burnt pan.
This quote has always helped me through this situation:
“Just let it soak in the sink and we’ll get it later” - Mama Page
There are some things in life that just take a little extra time to take care of itself. That doesn’t mean leave it. It means, treat it as best you can for now and let the ‘water’ do the rest of the work.
A prime example of this is when I had to deal with some toxic coworkers. They were ruining doing internal smear tactics to get each other fired.
My solution was to show up every day with a smile and work hard. Over time, it was all resolved and people even moved on. I didn’t have to jump in and ‘scrub’ to fix what was going on. I was consistent and knew that the little stuff would work out in the end.
When things are clean…
You have to clean out your life from time to time. Do it. Don’t wait. Just start scrubbing and enjoy the process. Like dirty dishes, accept that it will be a daily process that you have to learn to love.
Build a system.
Love the journey.
Love the results.
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