My hope is that by this post some of you are excited about the changes that could occur in your life with a little more organization – or a lot! I am excited to get to the projects that will help you with the “how to”. But, before the projects… I have one more issue to raise.
READY! What is holding you back, preventing you from being organized? Ugh, tough one! I know that one isn’t fun for most of us! But, I think it is so important to understand. Not that you are going to fix it tomorrow, or maybe ever! However, understanding what is hindering us will help us evaluate if our WHY? is really important enough to STAY! organized, and if so HOW! to do it. So, don’t hate me, but more tough questions for you to ponder.
Like the “why” questions of before, does one of these questions really hit you? Did you feel a little twang of “ugh” when you read one of them? If so – awesome! Why awesome you ask, because once we know what is hindering us we can do! something about it. In my next post I’ll have some thoughts for you on what to do with each of these hindrances – some real & practical stuff!
OR, are you unsure about the answers to these questions? Are you struggling with why all of your good intentions and hard work aren’t leaving you with a sense of order in your home or life? Do you feel at a loss with today’s question: What is hindering you? Are you like one of my dear friends that tries to be organized, is really on top of things in her life, and wants to be organized but just feels like she falls short? Maybe you need someone that loves you to give you a little tough love. Ask a sister or close friend (maybe NOT your husband, unless you are a bigger person than I!) to be real and honest with you about what they see.
My friend asked me one day, “I can take it, really, what is hindering me?”. We continued to have a conversation about the things in her life that consume her time and make it difficult for her STAY! organized to the level she desires. In that conversation she realized that she had some very good priorities (and so did her husband) that made it difficult for her to be as organized in her home as she desires. I can’t tell you that she has since become one of the most organized people I know, but I think (I hope!) she at least walked away with a little less guilt and a little bit more of a realistic view of her reality, at this point in her life. The cover of Good Housekeeping is probably not in her near future, however she is excellent in her role as a mother and housewife. Her top priorities are where her efforts fall, and at times that leaves a little to be desired in the organization department – all for good reason.
I encourage you to really look at what is hindering you, is it good stuff, stuff that shouldn’t change? Maybe you need to let go of some guilt and keep about your business. Even though organization is “my thing”, there are times that no one would know it from the looks of my home. But many of those times have also been a result of a favorite weekend with my family, the end of a wonderful week just playing with my kids, or a valuable day of doing something for someone else. Some of you may find good tips and inspiration on this blog to get order in your home or you may just find small projects that make life a little easier in your already orderly home. Others may find that you just feel less guilty when you read my posts – and I’m totally ok with that -whether your guilt is lifted as you see how messy my house can be or how messed up my priorities can get if I’m not careful. Either way, I hope you join me again!
This is really the end of my super serious/philosophical/not-so-practical posts. For those of you still reading… THANKS for sticking with me!!! My first hope is that you have been able to analyze your organizational tendencies and find some focus. I really believe that if we know WHY! we want to be organized and WHAT IS HINDERING! us we are well on our way to getting it DONE!
If you have a clear understanding of these two things you can start using some of the tools and systems that we are smothered with from websites, television shows, books, magazines and maybe even this blog! to get organized. You can evaluate for yourself which things you will be motivated to keep using and doing for the long haul, and which things address your greatest hindrances. Then you can take that all important final step of STAYING! organized.
Here are some of my favorite sources of inspiration and organization products!
You can also follow me on Pintrest, but I warn you I start dreaming of projects and get a little pin-happy sometimes! Also, at this point my Pintrest boards are really about inspiration for me, my home and my family. You won’t find a wealth of organizational inspiration – at least not yet! – but you will see what interests me, what I would love for my home to look like…
Have you had an “oh my gosh” moment of why you want to be organized or what will seriously motivate you? Are you thinking about organization more, becoming more aware or your personal strengths and weaknesses? Please, share your thoughts with me! Are you struggling to find motivation in anything that you think will really STAY! I’d love to hear from all of you! Email: jaime@organizedhousewife.com, or comment on this post.