Household Chores – Love or Hate?
Today was ‘catch up’ day!  Bed needed to be changed, things wiped down, vacuumed, scrubbed and yes a pile of laundry to be ironed!

No one irons any more than I do, I am told. In fact, I happened to post on Facebook about getting my ironing done and mentioned that I think it is a lost art.  I got so many comments on that one! Apparently, many folks still iron, to my surprise!

Yes, many women my age who grew up that way love the ‘no wrinkle’ look.

I recall starting at the age of 10. There were always two baskets full of clothes to be ironed each week – at a minimum!

When I learned how to do it at that young age I just liked it, so Saturday’s on the ‘Chore List” for me was ironing.

I went to Bible School in the day before, or at the beginning, of permanent press. Nonetheless, all students had chores to do to help keep tuition down!  So, one of the semesters, you guessed it, I got the task of ironing, on average, 80 men’s shirts a week!

It would seem so unlikely in this day and age, but that’s how it was in college in the early 70’s!

Other tasks I did through the years was peel vegetables, wash pots and pans, clean washrooms, wait on tables, and things such as that.  

Oh, a side note: One time, there was a skunk stuck with his head down in the slop of the vegetable peels and other compost in a big ol’ oil barrel!  I don’t recall who got the joy of pulling him out while trying to not have the compost go all over the place or getting sprayed, but it wasn’t me!

Everyone was doing chores!  Now the men were working in the barn, digging the vegetables up, tending the pigs, shoveling snow or simply doing the manual labor.

A different time and a different place!  

Nowadays I make a quilt or sew something now and then, and one needs to iron those projects regularly to press seams open.

In saying all this, I want you to know that ironing never killed me!

You think I would hate ironing with all that I had to do through the years, but I don’t.

I became a well-rounded individual!

Hard work is good for the body and soul.  

How you go about doing menial tasks to conquer the mountain of work around your ankles is your choice!

I’m a let’s get this done and behind me, then I rest type.

Others, break it down and what gets done, gets done!

I’m a healing perfectionist.

I live in a large heritage home in my beautiful home town of Yarmouth, NS.

I know what I can and can’t do and I get a house cleaner now and then when it’s the mess, or when it is my sanity or a clean house that I’m choosing between.

My business helps me pay for them.

It’s one of the perks.

But in taking care of myself I make choices all the time.

If I like to iron, then I iron.

But on my hands and knees scrubbing – not so much!

We have choices all the time.

How we deal with them and the attitude we take towards them, now that’s the difference.

I miss my dishwasher but enjoy the barn sink that’s installed here.

I thank God I have dishes to start with as many are suffering and have little to nothing.

It means I had food to serve my family and friends.

I could use my gift of hospitality and hopefully bless others.

Back to ironing; I have clothes on my back, and I am so grateful.

God has supplied all my needs, above and beyond my expectations.

This is where you need to turn some thought processes around and strive to be thankful for the ability to take care of the work before you.

Iron those shirts?  I even iron my pillowcases!!!

Look at the mountain of work before you and be thankful you have a home and the wherewithal to get things done.

Pace yourself.

Remember the video message about establishing priorities that I posted two weeks ago?

Pick the top three that ‘need’ to be accomplished.

Then chose the one that is necessary, but not necessarily urgent, and do it.

No multi-tasking!

Stay laser focused on the one ‘holy audacious goal’ and nail it!

Do you feel my high five from here?

Put the ‘gold star’ by your name for achieving it!!!

I believe in you but if I can help you more just contact me at:  achieve@cjlcoaching.com

I hope this will be a wonderful, productive day in your life!