Staying Sane May: Eliminating Dirty Dishes

Each month I share one thing I did to simplify my life. As you may have learned in the recent post, “The Proof Is in the Dishes: I Don’t Judge”, I have trouble finding time in my schedule to keep up with the (what should be daily) chore of washing dishes.

My process for solving problems no matter how complex is subtractive. I ask myself what needs to be taken away in order to fix an issue, not what needs to be added. One of my favorite quotes:

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — St. Exupéry


Notice the shiny, empty sink

In this case, I needed to take away my dishes. I don’t entertain often, so I’ve left only enough for one day’s use. Now I have no choice but to do the dishes each day. A sink FULL of dishes is not a possibility, which prevents overwhelm and procrastination. I keep my extras on a high shelf in the kitchen for the occasional times that I entertain. I made sure to put them in a spot that was more inconvenient than doing a few dishes.

Read more “Staying Sane” posts here.