Spring Cleaning Time...

Beautiful weather this weekend so we are taking advantage of it and doing some Spring cleaning.

I tackled the catio while Brent is doing the first round of pressure washing and weeding. He's still working on that while I begged off to write. I know, I'm a peach.

The whole time I was cleaning the catio this morning I was reminding myself that it's an outside space it will only get so clean. And it will only stay so clean. During the summer I sweep it out and run the hand vac over the cushions at least every other week. We enjoy sitting out in the space and having coffee or reading. I use it more than Brent just because of the reality of our lives, but we both like it.

The cats though? They use it everyday. So yeah, it gets messy.

The rule is they can't go outside until it's at least 50 degrees. Normally that means the catio is closed for business in December and January and probably half the days in February. I think this past winter there was only a small stretch of time where there wasn't at least one day they could go out for a little bit. So the cats used it, but I did not clean it.

And it showed. So much cat fur. And then the dirt from the wind and storms. It took about an hour and half to get it as clean as I was willing to go. Because it's an outdoor space, there is only so clean you can get it. (Repeated like a don't get obsessive mantra)

I also cleaned the windows on Friday. The outside, I did the inside on Thursday but that's a monthly chore as well. Because, again, we have cats. So I did the insides on Thursday and then yesterday afternoon did the outsides. And then today went around and spot cleaned a few of the insides to get the little cat nose prints off the glass. Just to have a moment where the windows were really clean.

It won't last, but look how pretty they are. Clean inside and out. Only took two tries at both the inside and the out to get them that way.

Now as I was doing both sets of chores I noticed a couple spots on one of the living room windows that overlooks the catio. To get those cleaned I would need to take the screen back off. So I decided that for now at least, they were good enough.

And that's the lesson for today. Good enough. Make sure when you are working on things, even things you enjoy (I know that cleaning isn't something you think of as enjoying, but having clean things is enjoyable so count it) you need to know what is good enough. What is worth the effort and when it's enough.

Return on investment. Cost reward ratios. Whatever you want to call it, I call it the good enough principle. Make sure you aren't wearing yourself out for small improvements. If your life is where you are enjoying it, then be happy. You don't have to chase better if you are content. A lot of people get so busy chasing better they lose the good they had.

And sometimes there isn't better. There is just an idea in your head that it could be better. Because someone out there is doing something that looks better than what you are doing. But don't be fooled. They also have to clean the catio sometimes. Or whatever their equivalent is.

Good enough is pretty great actually. Remember that.

I hope the weather is good where you are you're enjoying your weekend. Passover, Easter, or just a lovely weekend in April.