You want to get organized, but do you really?

You want to get organized, but do you really?

For whatever reason you ended up reading these words, whether you subscribe to this blog and when you see my name in your inbox you know there’s a good chance my essay will lift your spirits and inspire you to get those dishes in the dishwasher or maybe you remember the Slob Sisters and while flying around the Net, looking for tips and tools for getting organized, you Googled them.

Perhaps you Googled “overwhelmed, help, or get organized” and you clicked o n www.cluborganized.com and there on the home page you saw a deserted island, with a chaise lounge (with your name on it), a swaying palm tree and a frosty, fruity drink and you took a big deep breath and thought, ‘Yes, I need to escape this chaos!’ Whatever your reason, I'm glad you're here!

If you’re overwhelmed by life’s ups and downs and twists and turns, or a little depressed because you don’t like where you live, or who you’re with or just maybe you’ve gotten down on yourself, all that’s happened is you’ve gotten sidetracked by a wave or two. Big deal, get back up on that board and head for another wave. Not every wave is right for you, but there are never ending waves and unless you're ready to play, you'll miss the fun!

The only reason we ever want anything is because we want to feel better. Will getting more organized make you feel better? Sure it will, but there’s not a whole lot to it. All you really need is a calendar, a watch and a timer. If you’re not organized, it just means you’re not using those tools!

Okay, there is one more element and that’s clutter. The biggest destroyer of peace is clutter. You can’t organize clutter, unless you’d like your home to look like a Goodwill outlet with each room resembling a specific aisle, like the toy aisle (kid’s bedroom), the pots and pans aisle (kitchen), the linen and bedding aisle (master bedroom) and the clothing aisles (closets).

The changes you want to make are easier than you think. The solution to the mess you’re in requires three intangibles: a decision to change, a commitment and a plan. You have to make the decision to have a peaceful, less stressful life AND you have to commit to it FOR THE RIGHT REASON. The best reason is so that you can enjoy life more. We come here to enjoy life, not to be organized. Most of us get sidetracked when we grow up and get sucked into the world with so much to do that we forget to just enjoy the being part. We lose track of the gift of this precious life we’ve been given and usually only when we’re threatened to lose it do we suddenly seek to “hold on for dear life.”

The third element of change is a plan and the plan is simple. It’s about knowing “what” to do and “how” to do it. You can Google yourself silly and in the hours you take to find just the right way to fold a towel, clean a toilet, dust and vacuum, while the laundry backs up, the toilets get dirtier and the dust piles up. The Club Organized plan involves 3×5 cards, real, hands-on cards you can print out and also use for delegating to your family.

You also need those three tools, mentioned earlier: a calendar, a watch and a timer. With a calendar, you must look at it daily and a watch hourly. (Most club members have no concept of time.) Being organized involves having a routine that keeps your body and mind healthy, your finances stable and your home clean and cozy. If you’re overweight, stressed, your house is a mess, you’re in a financial mess (or all of the above), your routine has created those conditions.

If you create a daily routine and a weekly plan with a special focus for each day, and a plan to have a special focus for each week of the month so deeper cleaning can occur, you’ll discover what fun it is to get organized just enough to please you.

I recommend my “get organized” book, The Joy of Being Disorganized, to help you set up the simple 3×5 card file system and to guide you in raising your consciousness high enough to see your wonderful life in a new light.

For more from Pam Young go to www. cluborganized. com.

You’ll find many musings, videos of Pam in the kitchen preparing delicious meals, videos on how to get organized, lose weight and get your finances in order, all from a reformed slob’s point of view.

‘Make It Fun’ By Pam Young