Behind the Eight Ball

In the billiards game of Eight Ball, all the balls must be sunk in order 1 through 8. One way to lose the game is by allowing the cue ball to strike the eight ball first. If the eight ball is in between your cue and balls numbered 1 through 7, you are said to be "behind the eight ball"...in other words, in a very difficult position.

Ever find yourself in that kind of situation?

When it comes to house cleaning, my husband and I are behind the eight ball. We're not total slobs, but "neat freak" is not a phrase you could use to describe either one of us. I'd love to blame this on our girls; however, our slacking began long before they were born. Our entire house could use a good scrubbing and sanitizing, and the overall organization of this place...well, it's a nightmare.

In my heart of hearts, I'm a perfectionist organizing neat freak, so the current state of my home is a source of stress for me. I was already behind before the girls were born, and now I'm even further behind. I don't have enough time in the day to get done all that needs to be done. If I'm lucky, I can spend quality time with my little ladies and still manage to tackle the regular daily chores that must be done to prevent my home from becoming an A-1 pig sty. Except that to really make a difference, I also need to clean things that a lot of people don't pay attention to...baseboards, corners, walls, nooks, crannies, etc. And I need to get into all the closets and boxes, crammed with tons of junk, to determine what can be thrown away, given away or reorganized.

Who has that kind of time? I've tried the "tackle it 15 minutes a day" suggestion. That doesn't work because I don't get enough done, and by the time I return to finish the job, things have either returned to the original condition or gotten worse. I've tried the "tackle it on weekends" suggestion. Our weekends end up being crazy busy and gone before I know what hit me.

My new plan is to tackle it room by room. In other words, start in the worst room of the house. Purge the junk or clutter. Then clean literally from top to bottom. I don't move to the next room until the current one is complete. Except Room #1 has now been on my to do list for about two months. I'm not exactly making the headway that I desire. Hmmmm...

I'm most definitely behind the eight ball. Ever feel that way? Like you're in a pit so deep that you'll never climb your way out? Maybe you too feel behind the eight ball where your housecleaning is concerned....if that's the case, email me because I think we need to start a support group. Or maybe you feel behind the eight ball where your career is concerned. I think hubby feels that way since he lost his job, so email him to start up that support group. :) Or maybe you feel behind the eight ball where your health/weight is concerned...or parenting...or finances.

That eight ball position is not where I want to be, but in order to make the impossible possible, I have to recognize two things. First, I put myself in that position. Second, it's going to take a lot of hard work to make the shot, so to speak.

When you're on a bad path, it isn't just enough to recognize that you're on a bad path; you also have to correct course. And the amount of time necessary to correct yourself is directly proportional to the amount of time you stayed on the bad path. If you gained an extra 80 pounds over the last 10 years, it's probably going to take you longer than 6 months to lose it. If you charged yourself into $50,000 worth of debt over the last 10 years, it's probably going to take you longer than a year to pay it off. If you've neglected your home for the last seven years (hello, Self!), it's probably going to take you longer than a month get the job done.

Whereas the eight ball position may be the impossible shot in billiards, it isn't necessarily an impossible shot in life. Case in point...my pantry has become so disorganized over the years that it was painful to look at. Every week, it taunted me as I tried to find a way to shove the new groceries into it. Tonight, I finally made the time to get it done...purge, scrub, reorganize and finally admire. It was a good feeling. Obviously, maintenance will be required to avoid another eight ball battle w/the pantry, but I was able to discard a tiny bit of stress and make myself smile. There is nothing better than that! Now, what can I tackle next? Hmmm....

Question: Is there an area of your life where you feel behind the eight ball? If you can name something in particular, what prevents you from correcting course? Is it willpower? Time? Money? Motivation? Attitude? Whatever it is, let me be the first to encourage you to not just recognize this weak area but to also take action to correct. If you take action, something will change. If you do nothing, nothing will change.