The Messy Kitchen - Why It Doesn't Overwhelm Me Now

I have been cleaning up messy kitchens everyday for over 32 years.  For many years, the messy kitchen would overwhelm me.  But, after 32 years, it doesn't, and you want to know why?

Because I have developed a mindset and it seems to be working.  That mindset is to remember:

1.  My family wasn't out to get me when they messed up my kitchen.
2.  Most of the mess in the kitchen, I made.
3.  A decluttered kitchen is much easier to clean - and mine is.
4.  Just take a section.

I have operated in the land of narcissism for many years, where, in my delusion, I thought that my family members were insensitive and selfish, and I blamed them for the messy kitchen.  One day my wise teenage son said, "Mom, instead of using passive aggressive comments to tell us how mad you are about the messy kitchen, why not just ask us clearly to do what you want?, 'Jeffrey, please take out the trash!' We'll be happy to do it, just ask us."

I started taking his advice about six years ago, and it has made a huge difference in the way I have felt about my family.  They have been willing to help out when I respectfully ask, and the feeling to blame has lessened a lot.

On item #2, like I said in my last post, an honest assessment of the mess in the kitchen has led me to the painful realization that 75% of the mess in the kitchen I can blame on myself.  Not that I'm mad at myself, I mean, I'm a busy person, and sometimes it's all about making breakfast and getting out the door without time to tidy up.  Simple as that.  We're human right?

Regarding #3, I have learned from staying at timeshares on vacation that if we keep our meals simple and I don't take to being Mrs. Gourmet Cook, which I don't have time to be, then I only need just about the same simple supplies that is needed in a vacation home.  Since realizing that, maybe in the last five years, I have decluttered my cabinets to where I can easily see what is in them, and there is plenty of space in them to only be about 50% to 60% in use.  That makes for less things making its way out into plain sight, and makes for easy putting away of things.  My kitchen takes half the time to clean up now!

To achieve this decluttering, obviously, I got rid of a lot of stuff that I really didn't need, but I also put pantry items that I don't use everyday in regular cabinets lower to the floor where I don't like to bend over, making room for my everyday items in my pantry.  See how much space is in between each object, and how the heaviest items are at bisep heighth, so I don't have to strain to take it out and put it away? 

Item number 4, Just take a section, it really goes without saying but I will cover it in more detail in my next post, The Messy Kitchen - Just Take a Section.