Is an oak tree organized?

That might seem like a dumb question, but I don’t think it is. It’s just that we don’t think that an object that appears to do nothing could have any organizing qualities.

Yet this tree runs on an unwritten agenda that follows a brand of order we can’t even begin to imagine.

This tree may look a little disorganized with her branches going every which way and broken limbs dangling in disrepair. But she isn’t bothered by appearances and it has nothing to do with her organizing skills.

This tree doesn’t need a watch to know what time it is or a calendar to know what day it is. Quite frankly Scarlet, she doesn’t give a damn because she’s organized in a way that would take volumes of To Do lists to accomplish what she does. Of course this tree is organized and just because she appears to do nothing, doesn’t mean she’s not busier than we ever stop to consider.

The Farewell Wearing Ceremony

Spring is what I call ex-husband season. Mine was always unpredictable and the only thing predictable about him was his unpredictability. Before you unconsciously store the warm sweaters, knits and jackets that are for colder days, to make room in your closet for your spring clothes, remember how ex-husbandy spring’s weather can be and join me in a few Farewell Wearing Ceremonies.

What’s a Farewell Wearing Ceremony? It was coined by my good friend Krista. She’s very organized and she always looks great in her clothes. I see her once a week because we sing in a chorus together. She shared with me this fabulous idea she partakes in regularly to keep her wardrobe reflecting just what she loves and therefore wears. I just had to tell you about it, before you unconsciously store your warmer clothes that perhaps have seen better days. 

Krista is always looking for items of clothing she doesn’t wear regularly (those articles in your closet or dresser drawers, you keep passing over for various reasons, ending up picking something you really want to wear). Say she chooses a sweater she hasn’t worn in a couple of months, she puts it on and wears it for the day. (She often wears such garments to our chorus rehearsals and had a jacket that was being worn for its Farewell Wearing when she told me about this.)

During the day of wearing the sweater, she remembers as much about it as she can; where she bought it or who gave it to her. She thinks about all the times she has worn it, and if there were special occasions, she pulls up specifics about those events and relishes the fun she had.

She also talks to it and thanks it for its service. 

 Saved by a Compliment

Key # 3 Plan of Action

Now that you’ve got the first two keys to being organized (if you didn't get a chance to read them just click on them here  Part ONE,  Part TWO ),  making a decision to do it and becoming committed to that decision for the right reason(s), the third key is a plan of action. 

The simple plan is in 3-Ds:

Declutter, Delegate and Do it!

Declutter

Just like Flylady says, “You can’t organize clutter,” the sooner you get everything out of your house that doesn’t make you feel good, the better. On the subject of what makes you happy, here’s a good exercise to try.

Pick a room, any room and focus on one part of that room like a shelf or table; something that’s holding stuff. Pretend the room is on fire and in your mind, make a note of what you’d take with you (pretend you only have about 10 seconds because the flames are leaping at you and threatening to swallow you up).

As I wrote this I looked at a shelf in my office and discovered about five things on it that would   not   be worth saving. I'll get rid of them.

Putting your stuff through the fire test will help you sweep your home clean of the stuff that doesn’t make you happy. 

 Delegate

3 Keys to Having an Organized Home

Part two

As I said earlier, but it bears repeating, in the 40 years that I’ve been helping women who were desperately disorganized, there has been a common thread that connects them. It’s a thread of love, caring, compassion and creativity and a desire to have an organized home and a happy family. Many have told me personally they didn’t think they could get organized. Many had given up, until a light went on in a blessed AHA moment.

Be sure to read Key #1 Decision if you haven’t already. 

This blog is about commitment. I hope you’ve done the assignment for Key #1 and are ready for Key #2. The women I’ve met over the years who suddenly realized it was possible to have a clean, cozy organized home, discovered a dormant spark just waiting to be ignited. The spark is usually flamed because of commitment.

Key # 2 Commitment

Once you’ve made your decision to have an organized home, be committed to it. The best way to stay committed to anything is to go into it for the right reasons. If you got married because your husband was a good dancer and he looked like George Clooney, you’re probably not still married to the handsome hoofer.

I was 35 years old when I finally made the decision to get organized for the right reason. All my futile attempts prior to that were based on trying to make my husband, my mom and my friends think well of me. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

Many give up on getting organized,

then a light goes on in a blessed AHA moment!

Over the next three weeks, I’m going to share with you a major key to having an organized home. You won’t want to miss any of them. Each key has a simple assignment, I hope you’ll follow. Each assignment will prepare you for the next key and in the process you will have that AHA moment

In 42 years helping women who were desperately disorganized, there has been a common thread that connects them. It’s a thread of love, caring, compassion and desire to have an organized home and a happy family. Many have told me personally they didn’t think they could get organized. Many had given up, until a light went on in a blessed AHA moment. Flylady was one of those women.

They were moms carrying the burden of being disorganized, and having low self-esteem because of it.

With the 3 elements to success in this series of blogs, you will have that AHA moment. These women I’ve met over the years who suddenly realized it was possible to have a clean, cozy organized home, were stay-at-home moms, moms who worked outside of their homes as doctors, attorneys, writers, bankers, artists, teachers, nurses, singers, computer geeks, ministers and a thousand other vocations. These were moms who were successful at jobs outside their homes and successful at being wonderful mothers. But they were also moms carrying the burden of being disorganized, and having feelings of low self-esteem, desperation and worry.

Key # 1 Make the Decision

With a decision to have an organized home, it’s good to know what you think that means to you. If you want perfection, you already know that’s not going to work for you, so give it up! If you want immediate change, you know that’s not going to happen either. So how about a decision to gradually get organized just to please you?

"I don’t know where to start!"

3 Keys to Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions

Okay, it’s January 21 and I’ll bet you’ve fallen off the wagon when it comes to the New Year’s resolutions you made for 2015. Don’t feel guilty! Most of us haven’t been true to the personal vows we made as we woo hooed our way to an exciting new year.  

The most in-depth study I could find on the science of New Year’s resolutions was conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton. It showed a sharp drop off in how long New Year’s resolutions last. Seventy-seven percent of the woo hooers studied, made it through a full week, then 55 percent of those stuck with their goals for a month. Six months later, only 40 percent of those who had made a New Year's resolution were still losing weight or not smoking or being nicer to their kids. I question this research! I don’t know what percentage of those in the study were SHEs (Sidetracked Home Executives) but I’ll bet my nose and both my eyes that they were all BOPs (Born Organized People). If they’d surveyed SHEs, who are genetically disorganized, 75% would have quit in a week instead of hanging on, and by June, 99% would have bit the dust!

Think about it. A genetically disorganized person would NEVER sign up to be in a study like this in the first place. If you’re a SHE you know you love the drama of a grand vow just because it’s more exciting to think big and choose a huge make-over than to say something like, “In 2015 I’m going to keep the laundry off the couch,” or “I’m going to lose five pounds,” or “I’m not going to leave leftovers from restaurants in the car.” (I’ll tell you my resolution and why I’m still sticking to it, later on in this blog.)

So here are the 3 keys I chose that I think can help us with our desire to do better.

1. Pick just one goal. Here are some great examples to choose from.

Get more sleep

Cut out sugar

Have more fun

Eat more vegetables

Cook more at home

Let go and let God

Walk outside

During your day, find as many ways as you can to get things done so that you can stop work at 6:00 pm. Consider it quitting time. Of course your little Snuggle Bunnies will need your love and attention after six, but I’m talking about the household workload.

If you tend to be frazzled in the evening, you’ll love my 4 tips for making guilt-free couch time a reality. 

Organize Clutter? No Way!

Well, I guess there is always a way. You could go to one of those organizer stores and get shelves, storage containers, a label gun, jars, little drawers and a hundred other cutesy products that ring your wanna-be-organized chimes, but guess what! If you really took on a project to organize your clutter, you’d end up with a home that resembles your local Goodwill store.

Get the Picture

Just imagine your home peaceful and free of clutter as I take you on a make-believe tour of your home, room-by-room.

Santa Isn't Where You Think He Is Right Now!

What do you think Santa Claus is doing right now? Do you think he’s on some beach, lounging in a hammock, drinking Margaritas and listening to Christmas Carols on his IPhone? Nope! 

Santa Claus is organized! In fact, he and Mrs. Claus think ahead, so that on Christmas Eve they can enjoy a nice, leisurely dinner before he sets off at dark to deliver toys and goodies to the boys and girls.

We all know that the holidays require extra time and energy. So why not take advantage of summer leisure and get a jump on the holidays?

1. Stocking Stuffers 

Stuff as you go. Hide a small container, like a shoe box or Zip Lock Gallon bag, for each child. When
you’re out and about and find items that would be good for stocking stuffers, like movie tickets, gift cards, little toys and books, purchase and put in the hidden containers.

Come midnight on Christmas Eve, you’ll thank yourself when you think, ‘EEgad, we gotta do stockings,’ and you’ll have most of the contents ready to stuff.

5 Decluttering Questions!

Imagine this: You fill a big suitcase (the one that always weighs more than 50 pounds when you check it at the
 airport) and you cram it with all the fall and winter clothes you haven’t worn in the last year. Maybe many of the garments haven’t been worn in several years. If you haven’t worn a garment in the last year, what makes you think a year from now you will?  

If you did this, you'd lose 50 pounds of clothing that was otherwise clogging your closet and if the suitcase is an old one that's probably seen its last flight, you could drop the whole, loaded suitcase off at Goodwill, You'll feel 50 pounds lighter spiritually! Clutter is the biggest destroyer of peace and decluttering closets, cupboards and drawers brings a peace that money can’t buy!