Hi mom friend,

Quick question.

Is there a day of the week you've silently decided you owe something to?

Mine used to be Monday.

Monday was the cleaning day. And when Monday fell apart- which, let's be honest, Monday specializes in- I'd spend the rest of the week dragging it behind me like a bag of rocks.

By Wednesday I wasn't just doing Wednesday. I was doing Wednesday plus the ghost of Monday.

And the funny part? I almost never actually did the catch-up. The list got so big I couldn't pick it up.

So I'd do nothing, feel bad about doing nothing, and go to bed with the counter still full.

Here's what finally shifted it for me.

The house doesn't know what day it is.

That's it.

That's the whole thing.

The bathroom mirror is not sitting up there keeping a record of your intentions.

The floors aren't charging interest.

Somewhere a schedule said Monday, but that schedule was written by someone who has never met your Monday.

So instead of asking how do I make this up, try asking: what's actually in my way today?

Walk through the house for two minutes and just look. Not at what's dusty- at what's making today harder. It's usually one or two things, and it's usually not the things on the chart.

Then do the small version.

Wipe the sink, skip the tub. Sweep the kitchen, skip the rest. Start one load of laundry and let starting be the win. Ten minutes with a basket, one loop, done.
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Everything else comes back around. It always does. That's the one dependable thing about housework — it is extremely committed to returning.

You didn't fall behind. You just had a Monday.

Meet the house where it is today, do the small honest thing, and let that be enough. Because it is.

— Kristen, Unscripted Mom Life

P.S. If you've been waiting for Monday to "start fresh," you have my full permission to start on a random Wednesday afternoon at 2:15 instead. Fresh starts don't have a schedule either.

I wrote a more detailed version on my blog if you want to sit with it a minute.
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Check it out here- No Energy to Clean? Start With the Two-Minute Walk-Through​