Flyladys, how long did it take you to get a grip of the system?

[BlackBag]

Have been decluttering & fluttering for a while but need to get a grip of it for our sanity. So I sat down today and wrote out tick sheets for control journal and have hope and purpose in my heart.

So how long did it take for you to confidently say I doing it and it's working?

And which bits did you resist tackling but actually find useful?

going to watch with interest as on day 2 of FLYing and have already achieved more in a day than normal, but would love some more tips....

bump as really need some advice too !!

I have been doing this a year and am struggling with the routines but this is something that i have big problems with anyway so it is not reflective of the system.

However, I have majorly decluttered and feel like even when the house has decended into chaos (it has been a very very very tough year physically and emotionally) that i can get back in control without too much panic. In fact today is the first day i have paniced in the year doing this. But even then i have a plan, a list, a timer and focus. And surprisingly am more on top of things then i released.

the system works but even the fly lady says that it took her months to get in the habit of shining her sink everyday. its somewhere on her site and as i am on a 30min lunch break I wont link as i'd rather browse mn for 15mins.

It does work and it does make a difference but it takes time to break old habbits and form new ones. I find it a fab system as no matter where i am/what is happening i can just start again. No guilt. Just start again. Life happens and this system is flexible enough to account for that.

The main principles of babysteps (a little bit at a time) and no perfection is key. Every little step of progress is progress.

Right must go fly. crisis cleaning today.

Thank you, I'm keen but just wandered whether I'll be confidentaly flying by this Christmas or 2015.

Quite like progress, progress, progress as a mantra

Don't shine my sink, cook to often to bother.
List having taken over my life. I think flinging is the best advice and using a stop watch! Otherwise don't follow the routine just post list!

About 2-3 months I think

Some bits much MUCH quicker- like cleaning sink, and others like swish & swipe took well over a year, but within 6 weeks the difference was astonishing.

The very best bit for me was my before bed routine which, quite honestly, has changed my life.

oh and buying nice timers and setting them for 15 mins. Amazing idea

I've been doing it for a bout a year, and would not say I have fully mastered it (probably will never be at the stage of doing the missions every day always) but it made a big difference, as Deck says, even if you lapse for a bit it is easy to pick back up and if you can keep a few key things going it really helps you keep on top.

My most important things are

Swish and swipe
One load of washing a day, and don't let it pile up when it is time to put it away.
Decluttering, a bit at a time, just keep going
Putting out clothes at bedtime, and the general morning, afternoon and evening routines
Finding regular time spots for jobs that don't need doing every day, so that you don't put them off indefinitely till they are overwhelming. I do one hour ironing a week on Sunday evening for instance.

After a while, the decluttering starte making everything else much easier.

Don't always bother shining my sink, with hard water it is never going to look brilliant anyway.

BTW, when I say cleaning sink, I mean making sure it is empty and dry before I go to bed, not necessarily sparkling and shiny