Little Steps

I often find myself thinking that the key to feeling that I am keeping on top of things - family, friends, Church commitments, work, housework, clutter, and my own general happiness - is taking little steps.

If I try to do too much, or make a huge list, it just all seems overwhelming and I more often than not throw my hands in the air and give it up as "just too big to get done". So I have been thinking... would you like to play along with some Little Steps challenges with me?

Every day, Monday to Friday, I am going to post a Little Step challenge on the blog. It will be something around the house, or just a little personal challenge (nothing too scary, I promise - I am a rather shy person, so I will not be challenging you to be doing anything out there!). Something that might bring us one Little Step closer to a feeling of general happiness - at peace with our families, houses, and the world.

Do you want to play along? If you do, then all you have to do is check back each day and see what our challenge is for that day! Schedule it in to your day or evening. None of the tasks will take any more than 15 minutes, at the absolute most. Keep a tally of how many of the challenges you have completed, and at the end of the month I will ask you all to email me with your total number (if you want to). Anyone who does, goes into a draw for a sweet little prize!

So, what is today's Little Step?

I find that the one thing which makes me smile in the morning is walking into a tidy kitchen. I don't mind if the rest of the house looks like a cyclone has passed by... as long as the bench tops are clean and the dinner dishes dealt with. It starts the day off on the right foot....

So the challenge for this evening is to do 2 things, right before bedtime -

• Deal with the dinner dishes, if you haven't already done so. Stack them in the dishwasher, or wash in the sink and leave them to dry in the rack. (Leave the pots to soak if you want to); and
• Wipe down the kitchen benchtops.

That's it. You don't have to put everything away, or have it all spotless. Just wash dishes and wipe benches. Then go to bed, anticipating the enjoyment of seeing a tidy kitchen, when you wake up!