Last minute lightning cleaning is one of my superpowers. Living in a tiny, cramped space for so many years, I’ve never truly experienced a clean house. Anytime we had people over it was a mad dash to push, hide, shove, and polish our way through the main rooms of the house. Bedroom doors were closed, piles shoved into boxes, and countertops wiped quickly. Rugs had to be shaken out and floors swept or vacuumed. As long as I had a couple hours notice, I could make it happen.

But it’s stressful living like that. I always hated when people would just “pop in” because my house was a massive disaster. The clutter made it embarrassing to invite anyone inside. I found myself picking things up to make room on the couch and apologizing for the mess the entire visit.

Since we are in our new home, I’m trying to do a little bit everyday so our house is always presentable. Simple chores like making beds, washing dishes, and folding laundry are daily musts. Sweeping high traffic areas is also on that list. Then every week or two I pick an evening and we tackle heavily used areas like bathrooms and bedrooms. The whole family gets involved and we are learning to clean before the rooms get so dirty it takes tons of elbow grease.

Regular maintenance creates a more inviting home. Just like regular self-maintenance creates a more inviting self.

I’m in a season of learning to maintain. No lightning cleaning spells. No shove and polish episodes. Steady responsibility. Daily maintenance. Regular routines. Healthy habits.

It’s hard to admit I’ve cleaned certain parts of my current home more times in three months than I cleaned in the old house in a year. It’s also hard to teach myself new behaviors and practice consistency in this new season.

But I find myself more peaceful. Content. Less frazzled. Less worried. I welcome friends and family when they “pop-in” and there isn’t any pushing or shoving required. Are things spotless? No. Is my home perfect? No. But it’s maintained. And that’s a sanity-saver all by itself.

My question to you this week is: how are you doing with daily maintenance? On your home? Property? Car? General life? Spiritually? What about with yourself?

Send me your thoughts, I’d love to hear them.