1. If your home is immaculate and running like a well-oiled clock.
2. Your family begs to help with household chores.
3. You’re happy with your weight.
4. You’re wealthy and debt free.
5. You have a team of professional housecleaners who come and clean daily.
6. You are ecstatic with your marriage.
7. Okay, I thought of another one, you’re never late.
If these reasons aren’t yours, read more. Disorganization affects every area of your life; your finances, your health, your relationships, your stress level and I’m sure you can think of more ways it affects your life.
A Little Organization Goes a Long Way
Getting organized just enough to please you, is the goal. The only reason to get organized is so that life doesn’t get in the way of YOU. When you’re disorganized, you let life run you as you stomp out fires caused by your disorganization. But a little organization goes a long way. Just getting in the habit of looking at your calendar every evening and then again in the morning will increase your level of organization tenfold!
What can be discouraging is trying to get organized when you’re in a huge mess and you don’t know
where to start. That’s like trying to waterski under water. If you’ve ever waterskied you know getting up is the part that takes the most effort, but once you’re on top of the water that’s when the fun begins. It’s exactly the same with being organized in your life. Once you’ve established just a few good habits and you get into a routine that serves you, you’ll glide along with ease. It’s the establishing part that takes a little extra effort.
Where Should You Start?
Whenever you’re in doubt of knowing where to start, start with YOU. Close your eyes and take three nice, big breaths. When you breathe in think ‘I am loved.’ When you breathe out think ‘All is well.’ Do that three times. Now go get a big drink of water (8 oz.) and with each swallow (about 15) be thankful for the clean, pure water you get with just the turn of a handle. Gratitude for what’s really important in your life is the secret to a happy life, and when you’re happy it’s easier to be organized.
Start with Being Grateful for Your Gift of Life
Today we received an email from one of our grandchildren and I thought it was appropriate to share with you in this blog. Kyle is 15 years old and he went with his church to help a family this summer. When he came home, his level of gratitude for what’s important was off the charts. 
Dear Papa and Ila, [Ila is my grandma name]
All I can say is thank you. I am very grateful for the money you donated to help me reach my goal to go on this trip with my church. This trip is easily one of the best and most eye-opening trips I have ever taken.
It took 16 hours to drive there. We worked six hours a day, five days a week, and a 16 hour drive back. The house I worked on was on the top of a mountain. There were around 110 people from the church I went with and there were about seven people in my crew who worked on this particular house.
We worked on placing a tin roof on the house because there were leaks all winter long. The home owners were husband and wife. The husband makes his money by bee keeping and is a pastor at a church. The wife is generous, loving, and a great cook. The man is quite the character. He is happy all the time with the things he has. He told me, "All I need for happiness is the Lord, my wife, and love." This really inspired me because I want more luxuries with all the things I already have, while he is content up on his mountain with those three things.
They have two grandchildren who are the most polite five and seven year old kids I have ever met. My crew eventually spent plenty of time with this family that we shared a very close bond with. Before we left the site each day we would have a "jam session" when the man would play his banjo and one of my crew members would play the guitar, and we would sing country songs.
One of our leaders told us before the trip, "Some of the most interesting people will unexpectedly enter and leave your life before you know it." And that’s exactly what happened.
I guess people are placed in your life to guide you for a while in the right direction whether it is that man’s advice for five days, or my relations with my relatives like you. This trip changed my life, faith, and perspective for the better. Thank you for helping me go on this amazing, life changing trip, and for "sending me in the right direction." Thank you.
Love Kyle,
Kyle’s letter did for me what that man up on the mountain did for Kyle. I’m grateful for the gift of peace that was given to me because I established just a few habits and a routine that creates peace, not inflicts havoc. It all starts with being grateful for right now and the fact that you are in it.
I think we are all looking for peace and joy in life. You might think your disorganization blocks joy. I wrote my latest book to show you that thinking is wrong. I show many ways to find peace and joy right where you are right now inspite of the mess you're in.
Love,
