Feeling Good About Organization

Some days organizing feels like more work than benefits. Right now feels that way. I know otherwise but it doesn’t change how I feel.

I thought that maybe I’m not the only one who sometimes feels this way so why not blog about it? Many of you probably have insights that I don’t mention here.

Organizing and getting one’s life in order can be so exhausting. And then to have to maintain whatever it is you do! There are some key benefits that I can see to getting and remaining organized in the many different facets of our lives.

Health – When we maintain a clean home (note the different between clean and sterilized, please), we can have better health. Did you know that indoor air is more polluted than outside? And there are cars outside!

Finances – When we can’t find items, we tend to purchase more of that item. Also, when we’re organized, maybe we find that we don’t need extra items. Being organized in our finances can give us a sense of control because we know where our money is going and what we can and can’t do.

Less Stress – And more time! Think of how often we look for something because we didn’t put it away or because not everything has a place. I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to decide on a place an item can call home—and then I don’t remember because it really wasn’t a good spot!

One really key thing for me to always remember is that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for me. If I try something and it doesn’t work and I’ve really tried to make it work (rather than expecting it to work without me doing anything), I don’t have to feel like a failure. If I gave it an honest try, tweak it or try something new. Just don’t give up!

Another trick is to dedicate time to it. Maybe all you have is five minutes. Maybe you can spend an hour on it.  Instead of wasting that time deciding where to start, just start somewhere. It’s better to do something than nothing. Afterwards, make a list of what you were able to accomplish. Give yourself a little reward. Dance a celebratory dance. Give yourself permission to feel great about whatever you were able to accomplish and don’t give yourself permission to think of what you didn’t get done. I love writing down in my planner how much time I spent and what I did. When I feel discouraged, I can look at it and see what I can do with any amount of time that I have.

I’m the type of person who loves lists. I like writing things down. I like checking things off. I can go too far sometimes. I can get so uptight about things that I fall off the wagon so hard that I’m sure I gave myself a broken leg. Then it is tough to get back in the swing of things.I constantly have to remind myself that I have my own permission to back off!

Here are some of the many areas of my life that I am in the throes of putting in order: spiritually, fitness, family time, blogging, household maintenance and cleaning, fertility, grocery shopping, my house at large, finances, my future unveiled plans, my church calling, crafting, painting, sewing! I’m sure I’m missing some.

I am finally reaching a point where I think things are working FOR me instead of AGAINST me. I will probably share my methods at some future point. Hope it’s not too boring for you! I take requests. :)