I FAILED FlyLady | My #1 Mistake (+ New Plan)

I've been a huge fan of the FlyLady system for years - but during my recent trial of it, I FAILED. In this video I explain why and how I plan to fix it.

[@jessiec1194]

I’ve been falling off the Flylady wagon since 2004, lol. It’s been very helpful getting me into certain grooves, like getting the dishes done and put away, decluttering, getting the trash out. One thing I had to learn was each job has a beginning and an end, like the laundry isn’t all the way done until it’s folded put away or whatever it is I have decided I will do about my clean clothes. It very much depends on whether you work or not and I did the very best when I was staying home and hubby was working. God luck this week!

[@CandyChantelle]

It’s such a huge system it makes sense it might not be so sustainable! I agree though, it has ingrained certain habits (or at least guilt when I don’t stick to the habits haha). I’m determined to find a way!

[@jennifershaw4756]

So true that cleaning systems need to be adapted to each individual. I find Fly Lady to be overwhelming. It's also too broken down for me. I've been using the Clean Mama routine for years and when I am true to it my house always looks company ready. It's very simple and she has lots of free resources and printable on her site. The basic system is daily chores, weekly chores and then there's the more deep cleaning chores that are only done once in a while. Daily: Make your bed, Do a load of laundry if you have one, Make sure your counters are wiped off, Check to see that your floors are okay and don't need a quick sweep or the like and lastly, Pick up any clutter that may be laying around. (Even just doing these things will keep your home looking great! Weekly: Is divided by the days of the week. Shift things around to make your schedule work for you. Monday: bathrooms Tuesday: dust Wednesday: vacuum Thursday: mop Friday: Catch all day so do anything you didn't get done or focus on a deeper cleaning job you see needs doing Saturday: wash your towels and sheets Sunday: relax with loved ones I have changed things to suit my schedule. Your house will never be clean top to bottom at once but it will also never fall apart. Her motto is A Little Each Day. I love how forgiving and flexible this system is. She also has lots of DIY cleaning recipes that are easy to make and save a fortune. I just want to say to be gentle with yourself. Your place looks fine with just some surface stuff out of place. :) I've subscribed and would love to see your journey! Have a great day!

[@CandyChantelle]

Thank you for sharing this! I’ve heard about Clean Mama but was never ready to leave FlyLady - now I just might! Thank you for the sub, too :)

[@ldwernychuk]

I have to agree. I like Clean Mama's system. My weekly routine is not the same. I have the tasks set better for my days. I do not work Mon-Fri so sheets get done on my day off. Wed is usually my easiest day at work, so mopping works better for me that day. Just switching to doing one task daily instead of cramming it all in on my day off leaves me mentally better off.

[@kat_h5687]

I can't follow fly lady, I'm more an organized Mama follower, which seems to suit me as it's by area - I feel better having a whole zone done. Also, Dana K has absolutely convinced me that it's dishes 1st 🙌 Doing the dishes each night and waking up to a fresh/clean start makes a world of difference for me and has really made a great mental shift for more cleaning progress in general.

[@lovefortruth3414]

Interesting, I started out with The Orgsnised Mum Method and am now a Flybaby lol. Flylafy was overwhelming ro me as well. Inyil tge system actually clicked in my head. I spend way more time on sll my dailies thsn z want to no matter how I break them down. So shen it comes yo weekly, monthly and season or ither clesnjng, zi really don't want to spend more than 15 minutes on it if I don't have to. Plus, an 8 week deep cleaning royationn is too long for me, especially if I skip a zone one week for some reason.

[@CandyChantelle]

It really is incredible how much of a difference you feel staying on top of the dishes!

[@lovefortruth3414]

@CandyChantelle dishes! My least favorite job! I'd rather scrub the toilets lol. I handwash my dishes, so , yeah. Even with all the tricks and hacks I've found on speeding them up, they still take me longer than I want to spend on them. That's the one job that I have play music or ither videos while doing it, or I will ho insane lol

[@NeurodivergentMom]

I tried and Failed at Flylady too.. hah. I even had the app and everything. I think it's a dated system for a different type of woman who has the need to own more things and then clean those things and organize and categorize, etc. etc. More of us now are going towards "essentialism" which is a better way to define the idea behind minimalism in my opinion... and when we have fewer things that we love, why would we waste time organizing, cleaning, etc. etc. things we don't love? We're too intelligent for that (especially as neurodivergent women). Thanks for your comment on my video! If you do get a diagnosis (self or medical) please also share your journey! more of us need to put our voices out there. Good luck with your new channel! I love it.

[@CandyChantelle]

I love the term 'essentialism'! Definitely fits better. The whole home organisation hubbub can definitely just contribute to a sense of feeling cluttered, particularly with storage, and I'm glad I haven't fallen *too* far down that rabbit hole! I definitely want to share however the assessment turns out - end of June it'll look like!

[@LimakPan]

Very good perspective. Especially on the internet overreliance that's so common nowadays. Systems are made of methods. Grabbing the methods you find effective from various systems and personal experiences lets you make your own. That's usually the best way to go about growing in any skill, not just housekeeping. I will say, do remember that houses are for living in. They will become some level of messy every day. You can't stop your home from doing that, the same way you can't stop a dog from panting. It may cause needless stress to panic over details. Home shouldn't be something that makes us anxious. Naturally, this isn't to counteract your points on messes building up. Just as our stomach doesn't have enough space for an entire cake, our motivation won't have the resources to handle an entire pile of plates. It becomes either a massive chore or something that has to be portioned throughout the day. For me, it can be easier to say, clean several dishes, then vacuum as a break, then finish the plates. However, it might be tied to my attention deficiency. Everyone's different.

[@CandyChantelle]

Your point about houses being something we live in really resonated with me - I’m a real sucker for wishing I had a display home-level aesthetic! An unrealistic expectation for sure.

[@CandyChantelle]

Have you been able to stick to the FlyLady system? How have you modified it to suit your lifestyle?

[@fromscratchtoplate]

I want to try out the fly lady system again now that I'm not so overwhelmed with all these "projects" I usually consume myself with hahaha 😅

[@CandyChantelle]

It can be your latest project!

[@fromscratchtoplate]

@CandyChantelle yep! After my gardening plan is done haha

[@CandyChantelle]

🙌