February 5th - Energy Drains - Myrrhmade Love Where You Are Challenge Day 5!

  February 3rd - Welcome to day 3 of the Myrrhmade Love Where You Are Challenge! 

Come on in and join us!

 Day 5: Energy Drains

What is an energy drain?

An energy drain is a small annoyance that drains away some of our energy. While by itself it may not seem like much, add a few together and you've got a serious leak. Energy drains likely be simple to fix, rarely actually take much time and under stress they just don't get done. They're shortcuts we take but if left undone they end up costing us more than they save.

Like having a small leak in a boat, particularly if there are several, the amount of energy being siphoned off to tolerate these small annoyances can hinder our ability to Love Where We Are. 

I find that it's not uncommon for many of us (particularly those of us with kids in the house) to have many of these incomplete and completely doable tasks in our surroundings. 

I want to let you in on a little secret:

 Our surroundings reflect what we think of ourselves. Just as we can improve our surroundings easily when we feel better, we can more easily feel better when we improve our surroundings. 

When travelling, even when staying in locations that are not what we would choose for our home decor, being in a space free from all the little reminders of the tasks we haven't done, can be uplifting. 

Daily Challenge: Find one or more Energy Drain in your surroundings and take care of it.

No guilt, just get'er done and cross it off the list.

Plug the leak, stop the drain, reclaim that energy.

"Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship." -Benjamin Franklin

If you find yourself bumping into a lot of tasks that need something you don't have, ask what you can do to move that task along a step or make it easier to do that task next time you have a few minutes.

Is there a particular tool you could borrow, does it require a material or supply you don't have?

How can you set yourself up to take care of it instead of letting it drain your energy?

Just as putting on your walking shoes makes you more likely to go for a walk, setting up for a task makes it easier to accomplish it.

Daily Mindset Mantra: The little things add up.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.” -Mark Twain

Bonus task: Make a list of things that make you feel good when you've completed them.

There are things that feel good and that we enjoy while we're doing them. There's also the kind of thing that we feel happier once we've done, but may not particularly enjoy doing.

Doing these "feel good when they're done" tasks is a form of self-care that often goes unutilized. These are some of the bonus tasks that help us enjoy and thrive in our space but may not pop up when we try to think of things that will help us feel better and love where we are.

My experience:

I caught up on laundry after the drain specialist got everything cleared 

up and working again. Bonus: kitty photobomb

Energy Drains are an area where I have a lot of room to improve. I'm handling a lot lately including my attempts to balance all of my various roles. In some areas of my life I'm incredibly disciplined and have surprised many people with my work ethic within my unual career path. I have a negative story about my skills as a house-keeper, a story that doesn't serve me or my home. 

The story is a self-fulfilling prophecy that both validates my excuses and ultimately stops my own development and growth. 

Not today! 

This is my floor. I rarely see it, and even more rarely see it clean.

Even just looking at the same exact situation from one of appreciation and encouragement makes such a difference. Instead of "I'm a bad house-keeper," I can direct my thoughts: "I'm handling SO much" and "We will remember the highlights and the lowlights, but NO one will remember if the house was clean." 

SO, I chose to focus on a few things that help me feel better about myself and where I am plug those energy drains.. These are tasks that often drop off the list of things I get done on any given day but help me feel better whenever I chose to make them a priority.

I finished all the laundry, I cleaned up the floor (again), and in the kitchen towel and napkin drawer I folded all the things. 

Each time I go for a napkin or towel these will be waiting for me, as a gift to myself. The floor will be dirty again before lunch tomorrow, but for now, after pumpkin time for the little ones, I will enjoy the quiet, the peace, and the clear open space.

How did you do? Did you air out your bed? Did you clean out your sink? Did you stop up any energy drains? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Make sure to check back here tomorrow for the next challenge, the next tips, and the next dose of the Myrrhmade Love Where You Are Challenge.

#myrrhmade #lovewhereyouarechallenge