5 x 5 Challenge

Just last week I had the wonderful opportunity to chill with my girls from McCook... the "four of us" were back together and it felt so... right!  How thankful am I that Sara and Mark moved to Bellevue (thank you Air Force), Jen and Mark live in WaHoo (thank you WaHoo Public Schools) and that Amanda's fantastic in-laws live in Lincoln.  Also, Amanda, we still need someone to visit with and an excuse to get together when we're in McCook, so thank you for not moving :)

Okay, I could go on about how they filled my car up with presents-- like a blanket, diapers, wipes, outfits, and even clothes for me-- and how they filled my heart with laughter and encouragement-- and how they filled my belly with Mexican food-- and how we scared Sara's husband off when we stripped down to our tank tops and started trying on Sara's "Goodwill Pile."  I could fill a page with how good it felt to hear them tell me my boy is adorable, and that I am not crazy.  I love that we don't have to pretend to be anything we are not.  I have said it before and I'll say it again, I love having people in my life who loved me back then, and who still love me today.  There is something irreplaceable about history.  It was _just_ what I needed.

Anyhow, Sara mentioned a blog she follows that shared about an organizing challenge, and I decided to take my own twist on it.  So this is not my original idea, but I thought it was great.

So may I introduce.... the 5 x 5 Challenge.

5 organizing tasks a week for 5 weeks.  Starting yesterday (no joke-- sorry for the "late notice").

What counts as an organizing task?  Anything that would make your life more organized, easier, cleaner, simpler or run smoother.  Here are a few that come to my mind for myself: Take down the Christmas tree (hold your comments please :), clean the space behind the short couch, organize the "junk drawer", clean the mail basket, clean the magazine basket, organize the "craft bin/basket/over-sized Hobby Lobby sack", take unused coats to the Mission, set up HSA, set up long term savings again, order a few pictures to fill some frames in Tuckers room, return a crock-pot to my neighbor, clean my sock drawer.

Here's what I want you to realize: These should be small tasks that you could easily do in just a few minutes in one day.  I hope that your five items will take place in five different days of the week, and take no more than 15 minutes.  If you really want a cleaner coat closet, for example, break that task up into several smaller ones and spread out the "fun."  For example, setting up my HSA might be my task for a few days as we both go to the bank and talk to my employer.  Or another example: I might clean the coats one day, the sock drawer one day, and drive to the Open Door Mission on a third day.  I really don't care, to be honest.  You can do 25 things in one day, I guess.  But that's not the spirit of the challenge (though you would probably still be glad you did it and feel great).  Think small, think simple, and try not to get burned out.  Think things around your house, stuff that has been bugging you, and other areas of your life that need organized.  You can even count things you might have done without the "challenge" if you need to-- like cleaning the kitchen counter.  I know you are busy.  But if we can give 15 minutes five days a week, we will start this year off feeling great.  Don't you think?

Here's to the 5 x 5 challenge.  If you want to participate, feel free to join me on Sunday nights sharing about our five things.  You can blog your own week and send me the link.  Or you can send me before and after pictures to my phone or email and I will even share them on here.  Or you can share what you accomplished in the comments. Or you can cheer me on.  However you want to participate, I'm thrilled.

On the journey,
Mae