3 annoyances around the home- and how to kick ’em to the curbfeatured
Today’s post is about the things that bug you so hard, that feel SO over the top wrong in your household…that you don’t even notice them any longer. Whaaaat? Yes. I’ve mentioned object aversion before– where your brain actually creates a blind spot for something it doesn’t feel like dealing with- and I’m no stranger to these annoyances, either. Let’s really look at them (and deal with them once and for all) shall we?
Tiny li’l annoyances
All right, class, I’ll go first: I own a tank top that I love. The color’s great, the fit is perfect, and every time I wear it someone compliments me. That said, I rarely put it on. Why? Because there’s always something about it that annoys me on some micro level. I usually combat this by trying it on, deciding “eh, not today,” and putting it back. The other day I actually wore the darn thing and figured I’d just muscle through whatever was bothering me about it. (I wasn’t being brave- my other tanks were in the washing machine.)
That day, however, I happened to catch a glimpse of my own reflection as I walked past my kids’ mirror; there, on my upper back, was an absolutely gigantic tag sticking out from the top of my shirt. Then I had a moment of “Oh, RIGHT, the first time I wore this tank top I thought, ‘this tag won’t stay tucked, that’s gonna be a problem.'”
So guess what I did right then and there? I cut the tag out of my shirt and promptly loved the tank top again forever and ever, Amen. (This is an embarrassing example, granted, but let my cautionary tale inspire you to cut out annoying tags, sharpen the broken pencils on your desk, and change the laundry room lightbulb that’s “been on the fritz.” Do it. Now. Before you forget again. HURRY.)
Bigger, eyeroll-inducing annoyances
Do you ever walk into a room and actually step around something to get where you’re going? That’s what we call “a tell.” A room should have flow. Your brain knows this, even if it’s not admitting it.
If you have an end table that’s never used for coffee cups or living room objects- but which blocks you from accessing an electrical outlet or doesn’t give you enough floor space- move, sell, or donate the darned thing.
Is your entry way table intended for keys and mail, but your keys end up by the door closest to the garage and the mail finds its way into the kitchen with you? Get rid of the entry way table, put a key hook by the back door, and place a basket in the kitchen for sorting and reading mail. (But grab a cup of tea first- you’ve earned a break.)
Large annoyances
Sometimes trouble spots occur in the home not because you’re disorganized and not because your home doesn’t have a good flow, but because of mechanical problems. If your cabinet door sags slightly when you put away dishes, if your desk drawer squeaks every time you return a tape dispenser, and if a knob seems loose every time you reach for it- you are less likely to deal with that corner of your home. Hence: “To do later” pile!
Sometimes it feels pretty great to triage those problems as they arise- and as you actually acknowledge them- and spend a few moments whack-a-moling. Prep for those moments by creating a small (small!) basket filled with a screwdriver, super glue, and WD-40. Nothing can stop you now! (…Except for that hilarious meme which won’t send itself to your sister.)
Other times? You look at yourself and say “Self? I see you. I see you not fixing any of these problems today.” And during those times, you pencil in a block of time to knock out three of those problems.
With a sharpened pencil, of course.
