Everyone thinks I’m organized.
People say to me, “If I was organized like you…” or “I’m sure the reason you get so much done everyday is because you’re so organized…” And I’m like, “Are you for real? Have you seen my closets?? My desk? The cabinet that holds my Pyrex?!”
I cleaned it once. In 2011.
You guys. I am not great at organizing. My cabinets are a crazy mess. My closet doors won’t close. I don’t know who (if anyone) has a soccer game tomorrow (though we probably have three). When someone asks, “Can you do such-and-such on Tuesday, May 3rd?” I say, “I have no idea. Can you ask me May 2nd?” Thinking beyond today is just about more than my brain can handle.
This hasn’t always been me. Back when I had more time (before I had kids? definitely before I started this blog) I used to write everything down and keep track of my schedule better. Ironically, the busier I have become, the less organized I am.
Shall we all say it together? “Laura, that doesn’t make any sense. Get it together!!!!!”
You get it together.
Whoa. My inner sassy teenager just came out.
Speaking of teenagers – mine are all in charge of keeping track of their own schedules. This is partly why I can check out when it comes to every single thing that needs to be done each day. My sons are the ones who have to tell me when they are reffing soccer, when they have a sports practice, when they have a deadline, and when they have to be somewhere for an activity or obligation. They keep track of their own schedules so that I don’t have to be their brain and mine too. I think we can all be thankful for this.
Still though. Not being more organized has gotten me into trouble more than once, and here’s what I’ve decided most recently:
It would probably help my overloaded spaghetti brain situation if I were to get the to-do lists out of my head and down on paper instead. Maybe?
This is so obvious.
I think part of why I’ve shied away from paper organizational systems for so long is because none of them have worked well for me. They seem too boxy – too one-size-fits-all. Since my life doesn’t fit in a box (read: Laura isn’t normal) I’ve not appreciated specific “here’s how to do it” systems.
Ways I actually am organized:
- I do plan meals pretty well.
- I always have plenty of food on hand.
- I have binders for my work related paperwork and keep very good track of income and expenses for tax purposes.
- I make lists for my kids with their school work requirements. (Once. At the beginning of the school year. Then I adapt it as needed and print it off each week.)
- I keep thorough transcripts for my high schoolers.
So sure. I’m organized in some ways – just not in all the ways. But in regard to all the ways I’m not organized – I can’t keep up any more so I’ve decided it’s time to try something new.
I came to this conclusion after a heart-felt discussion with my husband (read: Laura was overwhelmed and teary-eyed again). You know how I’ve told you that this teenager-filled season in my life is busier than ever and how the responsibilities are more intense and I keep trying to figure out what is wrong with me now that I’m not keeping up as well as I used to? Every few days it seems I have to overflow from the overload. I have the most long-suffering husband. How many times can he hear me say the same things over and over?
It was during our most recent Laura is overwhelmed same song second verse conversation that I concluded, “Why do I keep doing this? I love everything God is doing in our family and beyond. We’re in the middle of a lot and this is just what it is right now, isn’t it? From now until we get all the boys through school – I just need to buck up and go with it, don’t I? This is it. This is life right now.”
In other words, “I will be okay again sometime after the spring of 2023.”
I made myself an Organization Binder
Just after my conversation with Matt I thought, “Well, duh. I just got (and skipped over) an entire section of books and printables on Organization in the Homemaking Bundle. What if I actually looked at it?”
So I opened it, prayed over it (for real), and asked God to show me what might help make life more doable right now.” I went into it with an open and even eager mind. Just because organizational systems haven’t worked for me in the past doesn’t mean they can’t work for me now.
As God helped specific resources from these choices rise to the top for me, I printed out each page that I felt would benefit my organizational efforts. Then I put them all into a binder. I mean, if I’m going to get organized, I’d better start by putting all my stuff together in one place, right? Also – I should make it cute. Okay then.
I colored it myself!
Once my binder was put together, I actually started writing stuff down. I made lists. I worked through worksheets. All-the-while, I prayed. I suppose that’s been one of my hang-ups with organizers. I don’t want to be tied down to a to-do list that I’ve created myself. I want to be Spirit led! But how about I ask the Spirit for guidance while I’m making to-do lists? It’s a win-win.
So yay me! I’m writing words on paper in a binder and it is making a difference. Too simple? Of course. I think the most profound changes begin with the most simple ideas. I’ve just been a little too stubborn to relent and do the obvious.
So here we are. I love my life and all its crazy craziness. But the truth is that between homeschooling, keeping up with teenagers, working full time hours, feeding the family, keeping up (ha!) with housework, and being involved in ministries – if I don’t become at least a little more organized, I’m going to be in a constant state of overwhelm. Nobody needs to live that way (or live with someone like that). Phew.
Tell me your status with being organized. Are you like me – organized in some ways but not others? Where do you shine? Where do you need a little extra guidance?
P.S. Notice how I didn’t show you picture proof of how my closet doors don’t close. Be grateful.
Tara says
I know this thought is secondary to your main topic, but I appreciate so much how you taught your kids to be in charge of their own schedule. This is such a valuable lesson as they grow into adulthood. Good job momma!
Laura says
Aww, thanks. :)
Jessica says
Organization…..um…work in progress:) I have always struggled with organization. Ever since I was a little kid and my mom, in regards to my room, called me messy Jessie…..yup, that’s me! Well, fast forward to several years (not telling how many ;) ) later, married, five kids, dog, small house, etc….well, it has become overwhelming. I am definitely in the working on it stage. I am organized in terms of meals. We started the Gracie Diet last year and because of that I need to have my meals planned out since the grocery store is a half hour away and we only go once a week. This has been a GREAT help to me. Meal planning is one of the best things I did for myself and my family. Never going back to ‘just winging it’. Lol! Less food waste, less money spent, wonderful thing. In terms of everything else, I need help, lol! This year, well, since November of 2015 really, I have been slowly trying to get our house under some semblance of control. I am sure you have heard of Flylady…I have tried her several times and parts stuck, others didn’t. So I am trying something new this time around. I am taking what works for me, and not worrying about what doesn’t. I am adapting. Amazingly simply idea, not so simple to execute. But I am trying to be easy on myself. Every other time, I have crashed and burned and given up. Not this time, this time I will get there. God has really been working on me since last year. (Ouch, growing pains, lol!) And organizing is one of them. He seems to be cleaning out and I guess it is time for me to do the same for our house. So I am trying to be mindful and prayerful and work on it a little at a time. Good luck to you and everyone else who is trying, keep on keeping on:)
Jessica says
Also forgot to mention that I am finding great comfort in written down to do lists as well, lol. There is something so satisfying about checking/crossing things off!
Michelle L. says
I must have missed this blog post in my email. God is good though – he led me right to it today. I am feeling stressed and completely unorganized ad what does God do? He leads me to this. I’m praying right now. I bought the bundle and didn’t even notice the organization section. I’m going to keep praying and go to it now and see what’s there. Thank you for allowing God to use you with your blog. I always enjoy reading your blog and today I think it may change my life.
Cindy says
Your post is so me! Everyone thinks I’m so organized and…,,bah ha ha!! Organized Chaos is what I call it. I don’t remember what I had for breakfast, let alone know what is going on tomorrow , but everyone always gets where they need to go.
If you have a smart phone, I love the cozi calendar app. My husband and I can both have it on our phones and share a master calendar so we both know what is coming up on the schedule for everyone. It has helped a lot!
Verity says
I use a program called Evernote to help keep me organized. It has apps for Windows, Mac, iphone and android, and syncs across all platforms. Maybe even windows phone too, I’m not sure. It is also free, with a limited monthly upload amount. Honestly, I never even come close to the limit, but if you do its very inexpensive to upgrade it. Last time I looked the professional version is $5/mo, but that was a while ago.
It has a plugin for Firefox that can clip whole webpages into Evernote and annotates the original link and all kinds of other stuff. You can share notebooks (like a recipe notebook) with friends, publish them to the internet so they have a permanent web address so anyone can see them, have offline notebooks that don’t sync for stuff you just want to organize on your computer.
I have all my recipes in it, I clip articles (and lots of recipes) into it, run my meal plans, shopping lists and to do lists in it. I take pictures of business cards, attach files I want to keep track of, capture solutions of things I’ve troubleshooted so I can find it again, keep notes of things I hardly ever use but need like measurements in our house and what size filter the furnace takes, jot down quick notes to sort later….etc…etc…. I honestly couldn’t live without it. And the best thing is that its on my phone and computer so I never have to carry around (or lose) a big binder of everything. You can tag, search, sort, link, share, and organize almost any kind of information to your hearts content, lol.
Maybe it could help you? I know some people are paper people, I have friends like that, but I love that I don’t have to keep track of random pieces of paper anymore. There are tons of tutorials on how people use it out there, if you need some ideas.