The Foundation of Elevated Living
Elevated Living
I always refer to that elevated living we should all experience or my “Elevate Your Everyday” message. And we might immediately think of luxury, high-end brands, a richly designed home, or other things.
But when I speak of an elevated life, I refer to much simpler yet meaningful things — often details, that can alter our perception of our environment and ourselves. That might be the deeper subject to dive into at a different time.
It turns out that what lies beneath an elevated life is something most people neglect. No one would ever consider having it part of a happier, more beautiful life. However, this piece is crucial for extraordinary living.
Cleanliness and Maintenance at the Core of Elevated Living
We can all agree about how we like the experience of a hotel room or a spa, although we might have different views about how or why we enjoy these places.
I typically refer to the minimalism in hotel room designs and the serenity spas convey. Both places speak of relaxation and peace and offer a rich experience that appeals to our senses.
But at the core of every experience in a hotel room or a spa, there is a common denominator we hardly ever think of — cleanliness and maintenance.
Without cleanliness and maintenance, the experience of staying in a hotel room or visiting a spa would never be as we regard them.
We know these two places require constant cleaning and maintenance. Yet, we never see evidence of these activities — like tools or cleaning products. If we did, the magic would disappear.
We enjoy the experience of these places because we don’t have to think about cleaning and maintaining them- just a fresh, uncluttered, well-appointed, functional environment to relax and enjoy.
That Feeling Should Begin at Home
However, cleaning and maintenance are essential for those places to create the feeling of a perfect life where nothing ever gets broken, and cleaning is even unnecessary. And by extension, we tend to feel as if nothing could go wrong when we are there.
Shouldn’t this be how we feel at Home? Home should be a place of rest, support, nourishment, inspiration, and revival. Imagine feeling all that in a place where you truly belong.
Necessary and Unavoidable
Cleaning and maintenance tasks must happen, whether it’s you, other family members, or trained service personnel. So, if cleaning and maintenance are necessary and unavoidable, why not systematize and schedule these tasks? With a system, a plan, and a schedule, these tasks get done, and the Home remains in shape.
On the contrary, neglecting the cleaning and upkeeping of the house means:
- Trying to make up for all the tasks left undone when guests arrive
- Coming home daily to a less-than-desirable place
- Draining your energy
- Being unable to rest appropriately
- Not enjoying your Home at its fullest
- Cleaning and maintaining the Home should not be left for when you feel like it, have the time, or whether you like those activities. Stop fighting, ignoring, dreading, and suffering it. You’ll never feel like doing it, you’ll never have the time (if you don’t plan for it), and no one likes to do these chores. (No one!)
Systematize and Schedule
The less you think of home cleaning and maintenance, the less energy you put into those thoughts, and the less these thoughts will bother you. How could we make sure these activities happen without thinking much about them? Scheduling is the answer.
Scheduling these home tasks:
- takes them off your mind
- ensures these tasks happen consistently, thoroughly, and promptly
- allows you to enjoy your home without constantly worrying about maintenance and cleaning
More importantly, these tasks will stop interfering with your life when they have a specific time in your schedule. You might even forget about them if you trust yourself to follow the routine and allow your schedule to guide you.
Food for thought: A schedule we respect and follow allows the mind to relax.
Love It Clean but Hate Cleaning It
A few years back, we downsized considerably. With a much smaller house, I do most of the cleaning. I find our place to be bright, joyful, and super cozy. I love it! But cleaning? Nope. Not at all.
However, I do love having a clean, cozy home. I feel thrilled when the home is fresh and clean; I can relax and feel comfortable.
I’m disciplined and, as someone once said, “very task-oriented.” This is important when planning activities and following a schedule (especially when we want to avoid doing any of it).
I’m disciplined and, as someone once said, “very task-oriented.” This is important when planning activities and following a schedule (especially when we want to avoid doing any of it).
Tips for the Not-So-Task-Oriented
What do you do if you can’t follow a routine or schedule? You may want to learn to put yourself into “automatic mode” to keep up with your household routines. (Works like a charm).
And here’s what I do when not feeling so task-oriented (because this has nothing to do with how we feel about it, remember?). My cleaning time goes by much faster when I listen to podcasts, webinars, or classes that interest me while working on house tasks. Try something like that and see how it goes if you hate cleaning the home like me.
Remember
- A nurturing, restful, and organized home starts with consistent cleaning and maintenance.
- Cleaning and maintenance don’t magically happen; you must make them happen.
- Scheduling is the solution to ensure cleaning and maintenance tasks get done consistently with the least amount of stress.
- When home-keeping tasks get scheduled, these are off your head and allow you to enjoy a clean, fresh space consistently.
