Photo by Youssef Hanna
The following post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Cortney.
For some people, organization comes naturally. For the rest of us, it is a talent to be developed, an ideal to be sought, or maybe even a chore to be dreaded.
But regardless of where you fall on the organizational spectrum, you can be sure that it all begins with your thoughts.
My dad taught me at an early age that your thoughts have a powerful effect on your life--your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character, and your character becomes your destiny.
Kind of deep for a conversation on organization?
Maybe. But applying this principle to my quest for organization has made the difference between a life of chaos and a life of confidence.
Preparing your mind and organizing your thoughts is essential to being organized in other areas of your life.
Here are four strategies for organizational success:
Rest—Sleep is a silent remedy for so many problems, but it especially helps your mind regain its vitality and increases its capacity to keep up with a busy life.
Don’t forget to schedule yourself enough sleep, and times during the day when you can simply rest and recoup. Don’t think of it as a perk--consider it a necessity.
Write—Don’t overload your brain with too many lists and details.
You may have a superb memory, but writing down all your plans and tasks will relieve your mind and enable you to think about other things that need attention.
Just the act of writing something down increases your ability to remember it by giving you both a kinesthetic and visual experience with it. The time spent writing a task also enables you to spend a few moments thinking about the details—what you need to do or buy or prepare for that task.
Provided by freeparking
Pray or Meditate—These exercises clear your mind of the clutter that distracts you from what is really important. Taking time to breathe, listen, and evaluate is both calming and inspiring.
Prayer will help you remember your goals and recognize what you desire in life. It will help you remember your priorities and maybe even help you reprioritize. It will help you feel connected with something greater than yourself, adding purpose to those priorities.
In taking time to regularly pray or meditate, you'll find guidance, answers, and encouragement to continue on your personal journey.
Plan—Find a time for you, just you, to sit down and make a plan. I find the quiet early morning hours to be the best time for me to think, to pray, to read, and to write. If I start the day this way, my thoughts are more organized and throughout the rest of the day I am able focus on what I really need to do.
For some, a quiet hour before bed might provide the same structure to your thoughts so that you can rest more fully and wake up ready to face the day. Whenever you find your time, make it your time and make it a priority. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
As you work toward a more organized life, these elements of your day will help increase your success. As your thoughts become clearer, your actions will begin to fall in line with the systems of organization you want to establish and maintain.
I know from experience—not because I have mastered each of these things, but because I can see the difference in my life when I am doing them and when I am not.
Which leads me to my final thought: consistency—this is the key. The more consistent you are, the faster you build good habits and the more you are capable of.
You are destined to be organized!
**Which strategy (rest, write, pray, or plan) is most lacking in your life right now? What can you do to get balanced in that area?**
Cortney
is a young mother of two who seeks to bring beauty and love to her family through various creative outlets: photography, writing, sewing, cooking and entertaining to name a few. You can discover more of Cortney's creative ideas at her blog, Praiseworthy.
