Get It Together

{My preschool supply closet}

Getting organized I think is something we can say we have all had struggles with from time to time. Balancing work and family, friends and hobbies, daily chores and weekly projects are just a few examples of things that most of us have to find a way to prioritize and make fit like the perfect life puzzle. Some weeks I master this art, and others... not so much. When I am organized I am the most happy because even just taking a couple hours to go through mail and get all the housework done lifts such an enormous level of stress that I am no longer feeling like I have forgotten something. That underlying panic and anxiety is gone. Here are my tried and true techniques for getting your ducks in a row.

1. Schedule yourself time to get caught up. For me, this is the Wednesday evenings and Friday nights that my children are with their Dad. I can lay everything out and see the big picture or I can turn up my new Lenny Kravits album and pour myself a glass of wine. Cleaning under those circumstances is the most therapeutic for me. 

2. Every morning make a list. I do this when I get to work. If I don't I will forget something important that I need to do that day like picking up dry cleaning, or remembering that I am having dinner with a friend. I am constantly bombarded with last minute "have to's" so this is challenging but always helpful in the end.

3. Keep a monthly calendar at all times. I am sure most people keep it all in their phone, but I prefer writing it down and being able to visualize the entire month at a glance.

4. Leave yourself a day to rest or an evening if that is all you can do. This one is hard for me because I am always on the go but critical to my maintaining my sanity. If I take a long break from work, or allow myself a Wednesday evening of fun (as a reward for getting ahead) then I am recharged and feel less overwhelmed.

5. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is something that at one point I felt I was the master of, but as my life spreads out and becomes more diverse, the little things although important, can slip through the cracks and then I feel like I have failed. Now when a bill comes in I pay it, if an email comes through I make the effort to skim it at the very least instead of letting them pile up, running the risk of missing a deadline.

6. Find the path of least resistance. Especially when dealing with not only my children's schedules but my own, I always try and find some way to be efficient. If I know my son's training is two hours that evening I will go to the grocery store during that time or run a couple important errands let's say to the post office or drug store. Sitting there is a colossal waste of time.

7. Put down your phone and focus on what is most important. Nothing is more frustrating that trying to get stuff done and feeling like every text or Facebook status needs a response. The last thing I want to do in my life is look back and feel like I wasn't in the moment with my children or my friends when they deserve all the attention.

8. Cut yourself some slack. Perfection is an unattainable goal. Doing the best you can under any given circumstance is all you can expect from yourself or anyone else. Take a deep breath. Let whatever went wrong be in the past, and move forward with the attitude of  "OK, let's try this one again".