I thought I was coming down with a cold. In reality, I was coming down with a case of dustitis, a condition that brings with it sneezing and a runny nose, often accompanied by mild headache and itchy eyes.

All it took for dustitis to rear its ugly head was one night spent sleeping in a dusty bedroom that had not been cleaned since I left for a European vacation five weeks earlier. It didn’t help that I had cranked the furnace up when I got home about 11 p.m., exhausted from a flight that was at least three hours too long. Getting warm meant sending dust from other regions of the house swirling into the night air over my bed.

I did give myself one day off to recover from jet lag, but I know when enough is enough. Procrastination will not clear my mind — or my sinuses. No, if I wanted to stop sneezing, I needed to get out the vacuum, the Swiffer and my trusty damp cleaning rags. If I went at it while simultaneously doing the laundry, I knew I could get everything back in order in about four hours. I couldn’t wait to see — and smell — the results of my labour!

As someone who is prone to procrastination, I know it’s best to tackle a housework backlog in one shot. Just do it until it’s done, then get back to a regular maintenance schedule so things don’t pile up and get out of control.

It’s the same with decluttering. I don’t believe in the “baby steps” so beloved by all those decluttering blogs. One blogger, Suzanne, has urged others to join her in her 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, which is described as a task “to declutter at least one item from our lives per day for the next year.”  Why spend an entire year transforming your home from disaster to clean and clutter-free when you can get it done in a matter of days (if you’re off work), or in four weekends max if you work full-time and your house is in drastic shape?

At the Zen Habits blog, which is “about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives,” creator Leo Babauta suggests we can start living the clutter-free life with just five minutes of our time. “Baby steps are important,” he says. “Sure, five minutes won’t barely make a dent in your mountain, but it’s a start. Celebrate when you’ve made that start!”

I’m all in favour of encouraging folks. But no lesson will be learned in five minutes. And there is certainly nothing to celebrate after five minutes of pondering which one item you’ll be getting rid of today! The first step in every worthwhile venture is making the decision to go full-steam ahead — then sticking with it. That kind of sound decision-making requires a major leap forward.

When it comes to decluttering, procrastination is your enemy, especially if you need to prepare your home for buyers. Want to reap the rewards of a job well done? Draw up your battle plan and get to work — before it gets worse! And don’t stop until the job is finished.

It’s that simple.

It was great to wake up in my own comfortable bed after my five-week tour of Italy, Malta and France. Finally, I thought, I can relax a bit after all that sightseeing (Did so much walking that I wore out one of my hiking shoes!). Ah, I thought, as I opened the curtains with a smile on my face, I am so looking forward to relaxing a day or two before getting back to work.

Funny how moods can change in an instant.

Had I stayed in bed with the curtains drawn, I would not have allowed that bright fall sunshine to illuminate every speck of dust that had landed on my furniture, the mirrors, the floors and everywhere in between while I was off enjoying myself on holiday. Did I not dust and clean like a madwoman before I left … just in case a white-gloved robber broke in while I was away?

Alas, dust does not take a vacation.  Whether you’re there or not, the dust will keep on piling up. There’s no escaping it! My house is no exception.

With dust revealing itself on every surface as I opened drapes and blinds throughout the house, I decided I would enjoy at least one cup of coffee and catch up on my email before embarking on the inevitable housecleaning. Imagine my surprise (karma?) when I opened this message, circulated to family and friends by my sister and addressed to “Ladies!”

Remember … a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.  A house becomes a home when you can write “I love you” on the furniture.

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect —  “in case someone came over.”  Finally, I realized one day that no one came over — they were all out living life and having fun!

Now, when people visit, I don’t have to explain  the “condition” of my home. They are more interested in hearing about the things I’ve been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven’t  figured this out yet, please heed this advice: Life  is short. Enjoy it!

Dust if you must but …. wouldn’t it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake  cookies or a cake and lick the spoon? Or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time … with beer to drink, rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it’s not kind. And when you go —  and go you must — you, yourself will make more  dust!

It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

Is there really something better than a clean house, I thought? Must have been the dust blocking my brain cells, for I suddenly had doubts. Just in case, I locked the doors, poured myself another coffee and decided to give myself the day off. Dust be damned!

… to be continued