Cleaning Up Your Life
“Good things happen when you clean up.” I’ll never forget hearing this from one my wonderful band students, Scott Jackson. He said “My Mom always says this.” And of course, it’s true!
When you clean up you’ll find things that you were looking for. You’ll come across money or other valuables that can help you right away. And you’ll create a peace of mind and clarity to your space.
At the Phantom History House Bed & Breakfast, one of the comments we get most often is about how clean the house is. Although I don’t have a personal history of immaculate living spaces, it turns out it is much easier and less stressful to keep our B&B spotless at all times.
Cleaning is actually so much easier if you stay on top of it. A quick dust or vacuum can get things back in order in no time. We decided early on that the house always had to be ready for someone to walk in and want to book a room. We’ve actually had a guest call us and say “We’re in the driveway. Do you have a room?”
So we keep the house “Guest Ready” at all times. When someone finishes their stay, we clean and prepare the room for the next guest right away. This keeps the stress low and our lives calm. And picking up a stray piece of dirt is really easy when the house is always clean.
We have a harder time keeping our personal apartment (attached to the B&B) perfectly clean, but we’re working on that. Our space can be the place where things get dumped when we need them “off stage” quickly, and I’ve never been one to have a really tidy desk. It helps my mental space when my work space IS clean and organized, but I must admit this is not always the case. But I usually can find anything I need pretty quickly, and they say that’s the real mark of whether your office space is “working.”
It also helps my allergies if the house is clean, and having things in their place benefits my mental health and sense of calm. And our guests at the B&B like that everything is clean and safe. It helps them to relax and feel comfortable. I encourage you to think about this in your own life. If you’re a band director and your band room is not organized and clean, you may be sending the wrong signal to your students. Taking pride in your space is a way to build that culture of excellence. No matter what kind of work you do, showing up clean and well put together gives the right impression for the quality of work you plan to do. And having an office that is clean makes the same impression for any clients you may see there.
At an event this past Friday, someone looked me right in the eye and said “You’re very particular about how the house looks and where things are.” And, of course, I am. We have gone to great pains to choose every detail of the house, and I like everything to be placed exactly where we want it to be. I want every guest in the house to have the best experience possible.
Trust me, it really IS easier to keep things clean if that is the expectation and things are always in their place. Start with one space at first and decide to keep it clean all the time. Then build from there. You can do it, and you’ll have a more peaceful life experience because of it.
Tim Hinton
June 30, 2024
