Find Your Own Clean

Everyone’s got their own version of clean.

For a woman with 5 boys, my friend's house was remarkably tidy. There wasn’t a toy in sight. There was no nonsense on the counters. No sports equipment leaned up against a corner. There was a shocking lack of clutter.

And yet, it wasn’t clean. When I went to use the bathroom, there was an overwhelming odor of urine. (That’s what six males in the house will get you…)

To be sure, I wasn’t judging this woman, I was marveling at the difference in our households. My house was cluttered but “clean,” hers was sparse but “dirty.”

There was another family I remember who had their own version of clean. I pointed out a full slice of pizza that was left facedown on the carpet on the playroom floor and the father just shrugged and left it there. (I might have judged a little on that one.)

The point is not to judge others, but to recognize that everyone’s got a different threshold of what is acceptable. Their own version of cleanliness. Everyone is doing their best.

The thing about "clean" is that it's deeply personal. It's not just about cleanliness - it's about priorities.

My friend with the tidy-but-smelly house? Her priority was creating visual order in a house full of boys. My priority was making sure nothing would make a guest hold their nose when they used the facilities. The floor pizza dad? His priority was... well, I'm not sure about that, but I'm sure he had his reasons!

This isn't just about housekeeping. It's about everything in our lives as working moms.

Some of us prioritize home-cooked meals but have laundry mountains that would impress a mountaineer. Others have color-coded closets but speed-dial the pizza place four nights a week. Some women crush it in the boardroom but struggle with school volunteering. Others build Pinterest-worthy class parties but set boundaries around work hours.

What's your "clean"? What matters enough to you that you'll make it happen, even when life gets chaotic? What can you let slide without losing sleep?

Finding your own "clean" is about identifying your non-negotiables and giving yourself permission to be "good enough" at the rest. It's about recognizing that you can't excel at everything, and that's perfectly okay.

When you know your own clean, you stop apologizing for the clutter on your counters or the takeout containers in your recycling bin. You stop comparing yourself to the mom who seems to have it all together (spoiler alert: she doesn't). You start living by your own standards instead of someone else's expectations. And let go of the guilt because everyone is doing their best, including you.

If you find yourself struggling to stop judging yourself against the measuring stick of others' thresholds, or if you're drowning in the overwhelm of trying to meet impossible standards, I can help. As a coach who specializes in helping working moms find balance, I'll guide you to discover your own version of 'clean' in all areas of your life. Book a free discovery call and let's talk about what truly matters to YOU.