By Monica Zollinger

Faith in God, Freedom from Procrastination, a Clean House, and Belief in Self

“I’m not the kind of girl who gives up just like that. Oh, no! The tide is high and I’m moving on. I’m gonna be [my] number one.”
—adapted from John Holt’s The Tide Is High

I’ve had the goal of cleaning my house for years. But somehow, I never seem to get past the boxes and piles. They overwhelm me, and to cope, I distract myself—playing games, avoiding it all. That avoidance has grown into procrastination, then addiction, then low self-esteem.

Yeah, I know. Cleaning isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s constant. Dishes, for example—if I don’t stay on top of them, they pile up, clutter the counters, start to smell, and sometimes… grow things. I’ve honestly thought about just throwing them all away and starting over. Paper goods? Tempting—but expensive and not exactly Earth-friendly. The truth? I should just wash the dishes.

So, I scrape off the hardened bits (when they’ll budge) and soak them forever.

Contrast that with how things go when I rinse dishes right after using them and load them into the dishwasher within twenty minutes. The kitchen stays clean. It feels good. Peaceful. I’ve experienced the benefits of that simple discipline—even if I don’t always follow through.

And if that method works in the kitchen… why wouldn’t it work for the whole house?

I shower regularly. I do my laundry. I even tidy up when guests are coming. So why is the whole house so hard?

Let’s take a step back. Taking care of my body isn’t as simple as it used to be. I was diagnosed with a tumor. I gained weight. I now take daily meds, get regular bloodwork, have scans twice a year. I sleep with a CPAP, which also needs daily cleaning. Stairs are harder. Running is harder. Life is heavier, literally.

But do I throw away this body? No.
Would it be easier to manage if I took care of it better? Absolutely.

If I shed some weight, moved more, ate better—everything would feel lighter and easier. I'd probably enjoy living in my body a whole lot more.

The key? Simplicity.

I don’t need a total overhaul. I need to focus on just four steps:

• Get rid of the excess weight

• Organize my food and movement

• Clean regularly—shower, brush, maintain

• Enjoy the body I’m in

Now imagine applying that same simplicity to my home.

During a visit to my mother-in-law’s house, I noticed how calm and peaceful it felt. Everything had a place. Nothing overwhelmed me. I asked her about it, and she told me they do have tons of stuff—but it’s in storage. What they keep in their home are the things they need and truly enjoy. That’s why it’s easy to maintain.

So why not do the same?

Do I even know how much of what I own I actually use or love? Probably not. But I could find out. I could give my home the same attention I try to give my body.

The process would look like this:

• Get rid of the excess

• Organize—give everything a rightful place

• Clean regularly—dust, vacuum, wipe it down

• Enjoy the space—feel peace, calm, and love in it

Of course, the doubts come in:

What if I need something I got rid of?
I can probably buy another. Let’s be honest—I’ve probably already rebought it because I couldn’t find the original anyway.

What if my husband gets mad?
That’s happened before and I lived through it. Just think about the possibility of him being calmer and enjoying the simple version too.

What if my husband gets mad?
He might. He has before. And I survived. Maybe he’ll even grow to appreciate the simplicity, too.

What if I enjoy it?
What a thought. What if a clean house made me feel lighter? More productive? Closer to my family? More me?

Don’t I deserve that to be happy? If I enjoyed a clean house, I might be more productive, spend more quality time with family, or feel a great weight lifted and feel better about myself. I could accomplish anything!

So what do faith in God, freedom from procrastination, a clean house, and belief in self all have in common?

Everything.

If I truly believe that God created me, loves me, and wants me to be happy… then I can trust that He’ll help me stop procrastinating. That He’ll guide me as I clean and organize, inside and out. That He’ll walk with me as I release what no longer serves me—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And when I do?

I will find peace.
I will feel power.
I will step into prosperity.

And I’ll remember:

“I’m not the kind of girl who gives up just like that. Oh, no!
The tide is high and I’m moving on…”

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