Thoughts on becoming organized

First off, sorry for the no post last week. I was sick the first half of the week and worked overtime the second half to make up the hours I had missed. All of that equaled a very tired and brain-dead Caitlyn, so no post. I’m trying to get ahead of the game so I can schedule posts in advance so that there will be something every week, but it’s still very much a work in progress.

Something that’s I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is the importance of organization and planning. Every so often, I get this rush of frustration with my life and my lack of control over it and decide I’m going to change. I’m going to use a planner/calendar to keep track of my appointments and to do’s. I’m going to keep my apartment clean and follow a cleaning schedule. I’m going to be productive and write every day, and exercise, and so on and so on. Inevitably though, I always end up back in my old habits.

It makes me wonder why I do this. Intellectually, I know the importance of being organized and planning my life and time. I’ve even seen it work during the times I felt I was organized and on top of things. So why don’t I live my life this way? Here are some thoughts I had on why this is so.

 

1. The start up is really hard

 

When you feel like everything around you is out of control (even if it’s not) it’s not easy to know where to start. And even when you do decide where to start, you have to figure out a system that will work for you, start living that system, and keep it up. That’s not easy. And every time you slip back into your old ways, it’s often tempting to just throw up your hands and give up because it’s too hard.

 

2. Habits are hard to break

 

It doesn’t matter what it is. Maybe it’s a habit of spending too long online. Maybe it’s a habit of not doing the dishes. Maybe it’s a habit of thinking you can remember everything you have to do so you don’t have to write it down. Whatever the habit is, it’s an engrained response or way of thinking in your mind. A worn path, if you will. There are times when I get on my computer to write or do my finances or something non-internet related and I’ll discover myself automatically opening my web browser. For a time, that became a habit. If I was on my computer, I was on the internet. It’s not easy to create a new path and not keep going down the old one.

 

3. It’s hard to learn that change is a process and takes time

 

This is the one I struggle with the most, I think. I want to change, but I want it to happen NOW. I don’t want to go through the cycle of trying and failing before finally succeeding. I don’t want to wait the days, weeks, or even months that it will take to create these new habits and get my act together. I just want the magic pill that will fix everything.

All of these things make it really hard to get my act together. But they can be overcome. The thing is, there is no magic pill. There is only time, hard work, failure, picking myself up again, and moving forward again. It’s the only way there is to be able to create these habits of being organized and planning things instead of just flying by the seat of my pants all the time.  It can be done, and I can do it.

 

Change is a process. It takes time. It takes effort. But in the end, it’s worth it. So take that first step. I am.

Things I should know after 25 years of life

That unless I use a timer, 5 minutes on the internet will morph into over a half hour (if I’m lucky. It’s often more) With a timer, there is a 50% chance I will get off when the 5 minutes are up.

If there’s something I don’t want to do but must be done, it’s much better if I just get up and do it. Procrastinating just makes it worse.

I always feel better at the end of the day if I’ve been productive. I feel my best when I’ve been productive in a balanced way, meaning I took care of things in all aspects of my life- taking care of my home, writing, taking care of myself and my health, work, gospel, social, etc.

How to stick to a bedtime.

That borrowing trouble and worrying about things is never productive and just makes me feel terrible.

That taking the time to plan, though it seems like a waste of time or not the best use of time in the beginning always pays off in the end and actually ends up saving me time in the long run.

That there are things in my life that I can’t control and focusing on them is a sure road to depression, anxiety, frustration, and general horribleness. Focusing on the things I can control, on the other hand gets a lot more done.

I’m not perfect and I’m going to screw up and forget things. Just laugh about it and move on.

Little Joys of Life

Burning a candle with a lovely scent.

When you hear one of your favorite songs play on the radio at the store.

Getting to the end of the day and realizing you actually had a pretty productive day and accomplished most of what you set out to do.

Discovering you weren’t as dumb (or forgetful) as you thought you were.

Stumbling across something hilarious and unexpected on the internet that still makes you smile when you think about it two days later.

A long walk with a friend.

Finding something you were planning on buying on sale.

Waking up at your normal time and realizing it’s the weekend, so you don’t have to get up.

Discovering (or rediscovering) a new passion, interest, hobby, or love.

Creating something. Anything from a smile to a piece of art to a haven to whatever it is you enjoy creating.

Something that inspires you and leaves you pondering and thinking about it days or weeks later.

That “aha!” moment when something finally clicks.

Finally beating that level or game or problem that you’ve been working on for hours.

Please feel free to add your own little joys of life in the comments!