Just Pile It On
My Dish Drainer Life
Have you seen the jar analogy? You know, the one about how to reprioritize your life so that you can fit everything into a single jar (your life) by starting with the big sticks and rocks first (things that are most important to you) and filling in the empty spaces with the myriad shells and grains of sand (things that you still need to do but aren’t as important)?
They show how if you put all the small things in first, you won’t be able to find space (time in your life) to fit them in, so you have to start with the big things first to get it all in there.
The first time I heard that, I was thoroughly impressed. It makes So. Much. Sense!
However, no matter how much I understand the philosophy of the jar and how much I want to use it to structure my life, I keep ending up with a dish drainer life instead of a jar life.
Let me explain.
When I do dishes by hand, I start with the small stuff: utensils, straws, sharp knives. Then I move to the medium sized items: kids’ plastic plates, mugs that aren’t dishwasher safe, and reusable plastic containers. From there, I wash the large items: pots, mixing bowls, colanders. And I finish up with random flat things (cutting boards and cookie sheets) and all the dishes I find on the tables and counters after I was sure I already got everything.
As you can imagine, there are days when I end up with a mountain of dishes, when I play kitchen Jenga and pray everything stays upright. I just add dish upon dish, knowing the dish drainer can handle it, knowing if I can just squeeze a fraction of the item against something lodged in there, I don’t have to worry about it falling.
It sounds precarious.
But the dishes never stop, and the large items multiply! If I had to reorganize my drainer every time I found another large dish, I’d be there all night with dishes strewn across the counters and nothing getting clean or dried. In fact, if I tried to organize my drainer like the jar — with big things on the bottom — all the small things would slide off. Then I’d have to focus on rewashing them and waste time trying to stuff them in non-existent nooks and crannies. I’d never get anything done. I’d never be able to focus on anything — important or inconsequential.
The truth is that my stay-at-home-mom life is overflowing with small things. In fact, anyone who cares for their home can relate. Laundry, dishes, cooking…those sound like small things. They seem unimportant in the scheme of the world; however, that’s because they’re unnoticeable when they’re done.
If I saved my energy and efforts for the big things and only let myself worry about the small chores when there was extra time, my family would drown in dirty dishes and soiled clothes. Then I wouldn’t be able to read to my kids, take them to pursue their passions of the moment, or plan enriching outings.
I’m not saying that I have to have every dish done and every article of clothing washed (I see you snickering over there…where’s that fantasy land with finished laundry?), but I have to manage those less important tasks in order to focus on the most important ones.
There has to be a balance.
Just like when I load my trusty dish drainer. Small things nestled under big topped with randomness. Make headway on the small, focus on the big, and pile more on as it comes.
