Organizing Your Life

Longing For Order

Is organizing your life something you yearn and burn for? Are you ready to get your stressful and cluttered-filled life in order, but your mind is searching, to no avail, for a simple way to do it? I know how you feel!



I have dealt with general anxiety disorder and stress, mental and environmental clutter and disorganization, extended emotional exhaustion, parenting and marital struggles, and overwhelming feelings of being disengaged and lost in the world.

One of the worst aspects of life are the times when you are seemingly stuck in a rut and can't find the EXIT sign. I've been there; in more ways than one.

A substantially more painful condition is to be in a place or season in life where you feel utterly... lost. I've been there, too.

Many things that used to make sense and were settled in your heart, have been pried open again - and wider than ever! You live with uncertainty, constant second-guessing, and all but wishing you could climb back under the cozy covers of what used to be.

Organizing Your Life by Enjoying Simple Living

When I talk about enjoying simple living, I'm not referring to an easy, padded life devoid of conflict, heart aches, or head aches. I'm referring to less of the conflict that rages because of our own choices, immaturity, and self-inflicted stress.

1) Don't over-complicate simplifying your life

2) Don't try to "do it all" at once.

Remember this, you can make a lot more progress in a small amount of time than you may realize. This is not a race so don't be so anxious to get ahead.

3) Do today what you need to do today.

When I wake up each day, I ask God to help me do what I need to do today only that will make the most of this day.

4) Allow yourself to make mistakes and learn to trust the process.

It's acceptable and normal to feel discouraged about how you're doing and what still needs to be done. The important factor is to never quit. It doesn't matter how many times you fall as long as the number of times you get back up is equivalent.

5) Focus on managing one area in which you struggle.

Either start with something you can easily overcome or with your biggest and most pressing challenge; whichever seems do-able to you right now.

As you can handle it, cover other areas. I'm a multi-tasker and usually tackle more than one task at a time, even in the midst of being overwhelmed. Do what you feel will take you in the right direction.

Simple Action Plan

Equip yourself in advance with your plan of action from start to finish. Seeing the complete project plan in your mind or on paper will eliminate road blocks.

Imagine the difference between an actor's presentation of a script being recited comfortably from memory and a script read for the first time. Beauty and grace flow from the delivered words of the prepared actor.

Organizing your life can be similar. Understanding and imprinting plans, skills, and techniques into your mind, or at least clearly on paper, will help you learn how to organize your life with the same efficiency and eloquence.

Planning doesn't require special training. Start with the big picture by figuring out what you want your home, relationships, and life to look like. Then, work your way backwards and fine tune as you work out the details.

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